


Aeber and Bifelgan

by Treekianthia



Series: The Divine Chosen [2]
Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Kidnapping, Lore Building, Slow Burn, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2019-08-02 15:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 64,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16307501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Treekianthia/pseuds/Treekianthia
Summary: (Alternate Universe) Therion is a thief saved by the God Aeber when close to death, and Tressa a young girl blessed by the Goddess Bifelgan to spread wealth. Living two very different lives- Therion stealing the wealth of the world and Tressa confined to her own home- the two should have never had the chance to meet. With them both being Divine Chosen, however, their lives become intertwined as history begins to repeat itself, and the two gods are brought together again at last..





	1. A Thief's Wisdom

**Author's Note:**

> The following fic exists within an AU known as the "Divine Chosen". It is highly recommended that you read both Tressa and Therion's chapter in part one of this series before reading this fic, as many references and parallels will be made to them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the small, bustling town of Rippletide, there exists a girl known as the Living Goddess. Having heard rumors of this beautiful girl who could bring endless wealth, Therion attempts to see her with his own eye.

_In the legends, the god Aeber had tried to kidnap the goddess Bifelgan… **  
**_

_But when he failed, his heart fell into the shadows…_

_._

_.._

_…_

The seaside town of Rippletide was warm. Nestled in a stretch of land between the Flatlands and Highlands, the small town was well known. With a cooling breeze always blowing and a market so vast it was believed you could find anything, it was the perfect place for travelers to stop. The streets were busy with both merchants and buyers alike, and crowds stood gathered around looking at available wares. Other groups found themselves out on the docks, where they talked to merchant ship captains about their stock. Those who did not wish to buy or sell, meanwhile, found themselves in the local tavern, drinking and swapping stories.

It was the marketplace where Therion found himself that day.

It was busy, as expected, and crowds of people made it difficult to move. Therion was light on his feet and good at maneuvering around objects, but even he found it difficult to walk amongst the sea of people. He had come to Rippletide in hopes of obtaining a great treasure, but he instead found himself picking the pockets of those he passed. He was a thief by trade, and a talented one at that. He doubted those whom he passed noticed their pockets grow lighter as his grew heavier.

Therion had arrived the night before, staying in the inn under a false name. In all his years of thievery, he had learned it was one of many ways to keep people off his trail. He did not worry much of his appearance, as many travelers came through Rippletide and made it easy enough to blend in. With plain travel clothes and a cloak, he easily looked to be a traveler from the Cliftlands or Sunlands. The only thing he truly had to do was keep his bangs covering the left side of his face.

As he passed different stalls, Therion took notice of what was for sale at each one. Some were stocked with simple necessities, which sold cheap and quick, while others were stocked with costly valuables, selling slowly but for much, much more. None of what he saw, however, caught his interest as a thief. To him, they were useless trinkets that wouldn’t get him very far. No, he was hoping to obtain something of even greater value.

“Hail traveler! Would you like to buy some fruit?”

Therion turned his attention towards the voice that called to him. Standing next to barrels filled with both local and exotic fruits was a hefty man in a dirt covered apron. He was gesturing for Therion to come over and had a warm smile on his face. Therion stared for a minute, unsure of what to do, but when the man wouldn’t stop, Therion found himself being polite enough to go over. It wasn’t something normally in his nature.

“So where are you from, stranger?” the owner asked. He himself appeared to be from the Riverlands, based on a symbol embroidered onto his apron. It made sense seeing how much fruit he had for sale; the river was a good source of water.

“...I came here from Sunshade,” Therion hesitantly answered. Though he himself had made his home in the Cliftlands, Sunshade had been his last temporary place of residence. He had gone there in hopes of stealing some heirlooms that were to be used in an upcoming festival. It had been a success.

The stall owner was still smiling. “Then you must see some of these fruits often then! Sunshade isn’t that too far from my home in the Riverlands,” he pointed out. “Would you like to take some for the road?”

Therion gave the man a false smile, a trick he had learned to do well. “I’m afraid I don’t have the money for it. I spent my last few leaves renting a room at the inn,” he lied. He gestured widely towards the inn as he did so, using it as a distraction while he swiped a crisp, red apple from the stand. He slipped it into one of his cloak’s free pockets without the man even noticing a thing.

The owner laughed. “Well that’s a damn shame! What brings you to Rippletide then?” he asked. “Not much you can really do here without money!”

Therion eyed a house just beyond the marketplace where a large commotion was taking place. “What reason does a man have to come to this town when he has nothing more than the clothes on his back?” he asked the owner in response. The commotion was getting louder, and the owner nodded knowingly.

“Come to see the Living Goddess, have ya?” the owner guessed. “Good luck trying to get in. They say it’s been weeks since anybody last saw her.”

There was a glint of mischief in Therion’s eye.

The Living Goddess of Rippletide… She was considered by the townsfolk to be a living treasure; said to be an idol chosen by the goddess Bifelgan herself. The people worshipped her, and she was in turn treated like a fragile doll locked in a case. For all hours of the day she was cooped up in her family’s home, waiting for visitors to be led to her. It was said she could gift wealth to anyone who saw her, and those who came to Rippletide all had hopes of being selected to enter her abode. It was for that reason she was considered the priceless treasure, almost completely protected from the outside world.

Almost.

Therion was still eyeing the home of the goddess when he noticed a woman in uniform pushing agitated visitors away. “They say the Captain of Bifelgan’s Guard is away on a two week absence. Any idea if that’s true?” Therion asked the owner. Normally the young thief would go to taverns to obtain his information, but the stall owner had a loose enough tongue on his own. He also smelled a lot less like ale; it was refreshing.

The owner crossed his arms and nodded. “He left about a week ago he did. The entirety of the guard has been bulked up to make up for it. Rumor says more thieves are in the area because of it too,” the owner explained. Therion tried his best not to smirk at the owner’s words.

Those rumors  _were_  indeed true; more thieves were roaming the area in the captain’s absence. With the Captain of the Guard gone, Rippletide had become an open target. Though the Lady Bifelgan had an entire force of guards, it was only the captain that truly needed to be worried about. His devotion to the living goddess was well known, and he was the one who always protected her from harm. It was what normally kept thieves from going after her and her fortune in the first place.

Therion, however, was no ordinary thief.

He was in truth known as Aeber, the Prince of Thieves, named after the thieving god himself. Though his true name was a secret to all, his title struck fear into the hearts of all who knew it. He ruled over many of the thieves in Orsterra, using them to bring more wealth into his hands. When he heard the tales of a girl with the ability to grant wealth, he wanted to see her with his own eye. She was said to be a radiating beauty who glowed in the presence of treasure, a lucky charm said to bring fortune to any who possessed it.

The Lady Bifelgan was the treasure Therion had come to obtain. He had waited many months for the perfect opportunity, and with the captain gone, that opportunity had finally come. He had stationed his underlings just outside of the town to wear the guards thin, and now he had come to make his move. It was only fitting that a man called Aeber be the one to take the Lady Bifelgan; there were plenty of legends about the two gods they were named after. It made it all the more amusing to Therion, and perhaps made him even more confident.

“So buddy, what makes you think you got a chance of getting in?”’ the owner asked Therion. “They require some sort of gift for the Goddess before they even consider looking at you.”

The thief turned to him and gave another false smile. “I think I have something worth sharing with the goddess,” he told the owner. Therion knew well enough the requirements to get in, and that most who attempted failed. It took something truly special for the guards to grant travelers entrance into the home.

“Well, good luck to you then!” the owner said before laughing heartily. “Feel free to stop by again if you manage to get any coin! I’ll happily give you some fruit for the road!”

Therion nodded at the man. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for your time.”

The thief waved as he left the stall and headed towards the well-guarded home. The crowd around it had grown in size, and those seeking entrance were raising their offerings over their heads for the guards to see. Some travelers held precious heirlooms, while others held dishes of gourmet foods. Those who were truly desperate waved empty purses and shouted that the Lady Bifelgan was their last hope for survival. Therion thought it was absolutely pitiful.

“If they’re that desperate, I’m always looking for new recruits,” he whispered to himself before smirking. He himself had fallen on hard times at a young age, and he had turned out just fine. It wasn’t that hard to become a thief, and now he was the most feared one of all.  _Easy peasy._

Therion stood at the back of the crowd and didn’t bother trying to push through the sea of people. Instead, he observed the guards as travelers came forward and listened to what they had to say. One claimed to be a merchant, having come to sell the Lady Bifelgan his wares; the guard said the Living Goddess had no need for them. Another claimed to be a single mother with three children to feed, and the guards turned her away based on her clothes being too well made for somebody as poor as she claimed to be. The guards were merciless, and it seemed they didn’t want anybody getting in.

Perhaps it was because they were afraid of what could happen without the Captain? Therion was not the first thief who had tried to obtain the Lady Bifelgan. News spread quickly among the world of criminals, and he had heard plenty of stories of thieves who were caught and even killed trying to make their way in. Some had been successful in getting through the front door with extravagant gifts, but their greedy hands gave them away within minutes of entering. If they even managed to touch the Lady Bifelgan, the Captain would kill them without hesitation.

Now, with the Captain gone, they may have felt incompetent. If a thief managed to get in and be successful in their attempts to steal the priceless treasure within, the Captain would more than likely do the same to them as he did to thieves who laid a hand on her. That didn’t, however, explain why no traveler had been allowed entry even before the captain left. The stall owner had said it had only been a single week since the Captain departed, but that it had been many more since the Living Goddess was last seen. Therion couldn’t help but wonder if there was more going on behind the scenes.

“Please! Those who wish to see the Lady Bifelgan, organize yourself in a more orderly fashion! We cannot judge any of you if you are all shouting at once!” another guard yelled out to the crowd. There was murmuring from all around, and another pair of guards tried to get everyone lined up in a more manageable way. Therion found himself being pushed forward by those moving behind him.

“Judgement, huh? That’s one way to put it,” Therion told himself, amused by their choice of words. “I guess I’ll take my judgement accordingly then.”

By the time the crowd had settled, Therion now found himself in front of the group. There were still others ahead of him, but it had put him in a position where the guards could see him. It was their choice to decide who would come up next, and here, he could be chosen at any moment. He knew based on the stories that the front door was the best way to get in, but that fell more into dumb luck than skill. If he failed to get in now, he would have to find another way.

It wasn’t, however, in his nature to fail.

“You! Step forward!” the guard at the door shouted as she pointed at Therion. Giving another false smile, Therion obeyed and stepped towards the front door. There were both concerned and confused whispers from those who stood behind him.

“My, I must be a lucky man to be called up with nothing in hand!” he said as he gestured to himself. “I do believe I’m rather underdressed for the occasion as well.”

“State your name, stranger,” the guard demanded as she gripped her spear tight. Therion noted how proudly she stood, and the steps she was on made her appear taller than him. She was glaring down at him, but it brought out no reaction on his end.

“I go by many names, but you may call me Os,” Therion responded while continuing to smile. It was the same false name he had used at the inn, which was the only place he could be linked to. If anybody had seen him there, they wouldn’t know he had been lying.

“And what do you have to offer to the Lady Bifelgan?” the guard asked. “You yourself said you have nothing on you, and only those who bring gifts may enter.”

 _What did he have to offer?_  There was no reason for Therion to show the guard money or gems, and expensive heirlooms were a joke. Even if he had brought the items he had stolen from the festival, he would still have been turned away. He instead brought something that was much more valuable than any item he had seen amongst the crowd; something valuable, but not as easily obtained.

“Words of wisdom,” Therion told the guard. “Something that has no physical form, but brings wealth to those who know how to use it.”

There was more whispers from the crowd. “Words of wisdom?” they questioned. It wasn’t something that had been offered before, and to many of them, it seemed like a silly idea. To others, they thought it was the perfect gift, as it was not something everyone could give. Nobody, however, knew what was going to happen next.

The guard stood silent.

Therion waited.

“...you may enter,” the guard informed Therion a moment later. There was a loud gasp from the crowd of people behind him, and even a few shouts saying it was unfair. The guard was unphased, however, and loosened her grip on her spear. A few more guards came over, and Therion was escorted inside. They didn’t notice the smirk that had replaced his smile.

_Too easy._

Therion was led into the front room where he was told to take a seat. Looking around, he could see that the house was absolutely extravagant, with valuable items and other signs of wealth strewn around. A family portrait hung across from where he was seated, giving Therion a decent idea of what the Living Goddess looked like. Standing beside her in the painting were whom Therion assumed to be her parents and a man he believed to be the captain of her guard. He knew the Lady Bifelgan was an only child, and the additional man shown did not look related to anybody else in the painting.

It was quiet as Therion continued to sit and wait. Two guards stood next to him, while a third had gone off to inform others of his arrival. Though there was still much around him to observe, he didn’t want to get distracted. He had come to obtain the Lady Bifelgan only, and he did not want to risk getting caught before then. He sat with his arms crossed as he waited for any word on seeing her.

“You’re Os, correct?” a young woman asked as she approached Therion. “It will be just another moment before you can see the Lady Bifelgan. I hope that’s okay with you.”

Therion eyed the woman’s attire; she seemed to be one of the servants there. “I’m in no rush. It’s an honor alone being allowed in here in the first place,” he told the woman. This time, his false smile was soft, and it made the servant blush; he had charmed her. She cleared her throat and composed herself.

“The Lady Bifelgan… She has not felt well as of late. With Captain Leon gone, she has been rather distant and not acting quite like herself. She was still in bed until only a little bit ago, and the other handmaidens are currently preparing her to see you,” the servant explained. She looked a bit sad, and Therion wondered if it was because the servant felt bad for the girl.

“I’ve heard it’s actually been quite a bit since anyone last saw her,” Therion mentioned. He was still curious about that situation, and he assumed somebody on the inside would have an idea of what was going on. The handmaiden scratched her cheek and moved her gaze away.

“Ah, yes… That’s because of nasty rumors we’ve all been hearing,” she revealed. “They say that the Prince of Thieves was spotted in Sunshade only a few weeks ago, and the Captain grew worried he would come here next. Even if this is Bifelgan’s territory, Captain Leon didn’t think that would stop the Prince from appearing in town.”

 _Ah, so that was it._  Therion himself had caused the strange occurrence, which meant others were probably being turned away out of fear it was him in disguise. Therion covered his mouth to hide another smirk, though he cleared his throat as well to hide any suspicion. He was finding enjoyment in the irony of the situation; they had been more wary in order to keep him out, but now they had gone and let him in anyway. He wondered how stupid the guards had to be to let such a thing happen.

“I guess I’m luckier than I realized if you allowed me in despite all that,” Therion said with a false, happy tone. He wasn’t that surprised really; Aeber was the God of Luck among other things after all. It was only natural that as Aeber’s chosen, Therion were to be just as lucky as the god himself.

Not realizing the hidden meaning behind Therion’s words, the handmaiden returned her gaze to Therion. “The guard on duty must have been very impressed with your offering,” she said. “What is it that you’ve come to offer her? They don’t always tell us what gifts travelers bring.”

“Some words of wisdom,” Therion told her. He didn’t think he needed to explain anything more than that to her, since it was a rather simple concept. Even somebody as lowly as a handmaiden would be able to understand it.

“Oh, how interesting!” the handmaiden said as she clapped her hands. “You and the Lady Bifelgan may be able to have a wonderful conversation then, Mr. Os! And I’m sure she’ll enjoy the company!” She was smiling now, and Therion found it a bit foolish. She was far more excited than she really needed to be.

“I’m sure the two of us will enjoy our time together,” Therion assured the handmaiden. He had lured her into a false sense of security, and even the guards next to him seemed at ease. None of them even dared to expect that in truth he was cunning thief. It made his job all the more easy.

“Excuse me. The Lady Bifelgan is ready to see you now.”

Therion and the handmaiden looked towards another woman who had entered the front room. She was older, and the similar clothes she wore to the younger woman suggested she was a handmaiden as well. Therion guessed if she wasn’t the one in charge, she was at least high amongst their rankings.

“Follow me, please,” the older handmaiden said as she gestured for Therion to stand up. Obeying, Therion rose from his chair and followed the woman as she led him down a hall. The younger handmaiden followed behind.

“Is the Lady Bifelgan doing alright?” the younger handmaiden asked. “I know she said she was feeling ill this morning.”

“It has come to pass,” the older handmaiden responded. “It was nothing more than hunger pains, which went away after she was given her breakfast.”

As the two women continued their conversation, Therion let his gaze wander. Even the halls of the home were decorated from top to bottom. It seemed the family had really made use of the wealth their daughter had given. Therion wondered if they even cared about her, or if they were as greedy as any common thief. Even with such wealth, what use did they have for such expensive decorations?

The walk through the halls did not last long, and the group stopped in front of a large door. Therion knew what laid beyond it, and he watched as the older handmaiden spoke to another set of guards. The two looked at him for a moment before turning to the handmaidens and nodding their heads. Opening the door, the guards allowed the three to enter the room. Inside, another guard stood waiting besides them.

The room was dimly lit, with candles barely illuminating the surroundings. Red satin curtains had been draped over large windows, and another set of handmaidens stood besides them. In the center of it all, there was what appeared to be a throne elevated slightly off the ground. On the raised seat, a young woman no older than 18 slept softly. It was the Living Goddess.

“Lady Bifelgan, please wake up,” the younger handmaiden asked with a raised voice. The goddess, however, continued to sleep. She wasn’t stirring one bit, and Therion admittedly found it a bit amusing. A girl revered as a goddess taking a cat nap in the middle of the day? Aeber truly had given him an endless amount of luck if he was managing to see this.

The older handmaiden signaled for the other group to open the curtains. “Lady Bifelgan! It is time to wake up!” she shouted as light poured in. Even Therion had to squint it was so blinding.

“I-I’m awake! I’m awake!” the girl stuttered as she quickly sat up. Her hair was sticking up and her headpiece skewed, and the young handmaiden next to Therion quickly ran over to fix it before returning to his side.

The girl was well dressed, as was to be expected of somebody of her status. Her clothing was made of yellow and white silks, and a gray sash along her waist was tied into a bow behind her. Her hair, seemingly uncut for years, was pulled back into a ponytail as her golden headpiece sat on her head, and a single feather was placed behind her ear. Even the boots she wore were made of the finest leathers and trimmed with gold. To top it off, a green necklace matching a gem in her headpiece had also been placed around her neck.

The family portrait hadn’t even begun to do her beauty justice; she was more beautiful than any rumor or painting had said she was.

“Lady Bifelgan, a traveler seeking his fortune has come to speak with you,” the older handmaiden told her. The girl scowled in response and shook her head disapprovingly.

“Please, I told you to call me Tressa! Not all of this ‘Lady Bifelgan’ stuff! I have a name!” the idol complained as she puffed out her cheeks. As somebody said to have been marked by the Goddess Bifelgan herself, she acted very much like a child.

“But Lady Bife-“

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Tressa,” Therion interrupted. “My name is Os, and I am grateful for this chance to speak with you.”

Tressa looked at Therion. “Oh! Thank you for using my actual name, Mr. Os!” she said before gesturing towards her handmaidens. “Maybe you can convince all of them to start doing it too!”

“I would, but I’m not sure if I have the power to do that,” Therion said before laughing. He didn’t believe it to be a genuine laugh, but it didn’t matter. Only those around him had to believe it was.

“Soooo where are you from?” Tressa asked as she kicked her feet. Therion took notice that her throne was just high enough that she would not touch the ground. He wondered when the last time they had let her stand on her own two feet was.

“I’m from the Cliftlands, far in the west,” Therion informed her. Unlike the stall owner from earlier, he wanted them to know his true place of origin. He wondered if any of them would piece things together.

“Isn’t that kind of far?” Tressa continued asking him. “I mean, I wouldn’t risk traveling that much all for the smallest chance of gaining wealth.”

Another false smile; Therion had lost count of how many he had given today. ”Wealth isn’t actually the reason I came to see you today,” he told her. There was surprised whispers amongst the handmaidens, and even Tressa herself looked to be in shock.

The girl’s string of questions continued. “Really? Then why did you come all the way to see me?” She seemed happy knowing it wasn’t wealth Therion was searching for.

“I simply wanted to see Bifelgan’s Chosen Idol with my own eye,” Therion revealed. He eyed the mark on Tressa’s right hand. It was a symbol of her status as a Divine Chosen, and the reason he had come for her.

For a moment, Therion touched the left side of his face, where his own mark was hidden from view.

_The Divine Chosen of the God Aeber and the Goddess Bifelgan had come together at last..._

“Oh…” the young girl mumbled as she placed her hands in her lap. She seemed disappointed in his answer. Behind him, Therion could hear the guard tapping their spear on the ground. It seemed they were starting to grow wary.

The older handmaiden cleared her throat. “Mr. Os has brought something for you, Lady Bifelgan,” she informed the young girl. “Perhaps you’d like to know what that is?”

Tressa perked up. “Oh, of course!” she exclaimed. Her mood had appeared to change rapidly. She must have thoroughly enjoyed the gifts she received. “What did you bring?”

“It’s a rather simple gift,” Therion told her. As he did so, he rummaged through his cloak and pulled out the apple he had pilfered earlier. Tressa looked at him in confusion.

“An… Apple?” she asked as she tilted her head. “How… How nice!”

Therion laughed again. “Words of wisdom, actually,” he explained to her. That seemed to pique the girl’s interest, as she straightened up and tried to lean towards him.

“Well, what do you have to share?” Tressa continued to ask. Apple in hand, Therion gave a sweeping bow and looked up at her.

There was a twinkle in his eye.

“My words of wisdom, Lady Tressa…” Therion began, “...is to never trust a thief.”

Before anyone could react, Therion spun around and threw the apple at the head of the guard. It was not enough to cause damage, but it was enough to daze them for a moment. Turning back around, Therion rushed at the goddess, who screamed in terror as he threw her over his shoulder. Most of the handmaidens stood dumbfounded as they watched, frozen in shock. The younger one, however, had been close enough to the door to inform the other guards of the attempted crime. Therion stood looking down at them proudly as they entered.

“Tell the people of Rippletide that their Goddess has been stolen! That the Lady Bifelgan has been taken by the Prince of Thieves!” Therion shouted. Gasps and cries filled the room, and Tressa continued to scream as she tried to kick herself loose. Therion, meanwhile, dashed towards one of the right most windows.

Therion had known he would not be able to leave the way he had entered. His escape would have to be quick, and down a path that was not easy to follow. He had been smart, and the night before he had taken the time to hide in the shadows around the house. He avoided the late night guards on patrol, and looked for a place where he’d be able to make his escape. It was then he had noticed a broken latch on one of the windows, hidden away by the curtains place over them.

With a strong kick, Therion hit the latch and forced the window open. Jumping out, he landed firmly with Bifelgan’s Idol still in tow. She called out loudly for her guards, and Therion could hear them approaching in the distance. He tightened the grip on the girl over his shoulder and began to flee towards the town’s entrance. It would not be long until the guards lost sight of them.

“Wh-where are you taking me!?” Tressa shouted as she continued to squirm. “Let me go!!”

Therion smirked. “Into the shadows, where Aeber’s heart lies.”

The shouting behind them was growing closer, and the guards were coming into view. A few travelers had also joined the chase, hoping that their help in saving the girl would grant them wealth. Therion began to run faster in response, and then…

They were gone, having disappeared to a place where nobody could find them. The guards slowed down in shock, coming to a full stop when they could not see the goddess nor the thief. There was no sign of them remaining, and nothing showing where they had went.

Aeber’s Legacy had stolen the world’s most precious treasure, and he planned to keep it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yeah, these two get to have a really rough first meeting. We're starting out with a hardcore parallel to the legends of Aeber and Bifelgan, which probably brings up a lot of questions for some of you. Answers will come in time, however, as this is just one chapter of many! There's of course only so much I can say at this point, and I know things are already looking dim, but from here on out, we'll watch these two as they grow and learn more about themselves and their gods!
> 
> I hope you're willing to give these two a chance, because I have so much planned! Just because things are little rough at first, it doesn't mean they won't get there in the end!


	2. An Idol's Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taken against her will by a man who simply refers to himself as the Prince of Thieves, Tressa finds herself having to the stay the night with him in a cave in the Highlands. Though the thief says her guards have no chance of finding her, she still still has hopes of escaping his grasp and finding out the reason she was taken in the first place.

The world had gone dark. **  
**

Tressa couldn’t make sense of anything around her; one moment things had been normal, and the next her surroundings had become twisted and black. She was at a loss of what was happening, and her heart raced as strange shapes and silhouettes passed. The man carrying her was unphased by everything she saw, and he continued to hold her tight as he ran. The young girl closed her eyes in hopes the distortion would go away.

She didn’t know how much time had passed since she had been kidnapped. She had grown tired from fighting, and whatever the Prince of Thieves had done to get away had disoriented her. Even the sounds she heard weren’t natural, and it hurt her head to listen to them. She covered her ears in attempts to rid herself of her pain. Tressa didn’t want to see or hear anything until everything was back to normal.

_One, two, three, four…_

She counted each breath she took, each step of the Prince as he ran. It was something to keep her grounded in the warped reality she was in. Had he done something to her without her realizing? Had the outside world really changed this much since she had last left her home? Neither of them seemed like a likely scenario.

And then it was gone.

The Prince of Thieves had stopped moving. Tressa opened her eyes and uncovered her ears. The world had returned to normal, and she could hear the cawing of a crow in the distance. She didn’t know where they were, but it was cold and growing dark. They were undoubtedly no longer in the Coastlands where she had grown up.

As Tressa’s body adjusted back to the normalcy of the world, a wave of nausea washed over her. Her stomach was churning, and she felt she was going to be sick. Taking her off his shoulder, the Prince of Thieves put her back on the ground. Not even a second later, Tressa collapsed onto her knees and hunched herself over. Leaning over the side of some rocks, she threw up.

“Where are we…?” Tressa weakly asked as her stomach began to settle. She was starting to shiver, and a harsh, cold wind was blowing through the rocky cliff sides surrounding them.

“Welcome to the Highlands, oh Lady Bifelgan,” the thief said as he stared down at her. He had crossed his arms, and his scarf was blowing in the wind. He looked menacing.

“What… How… How did we get here?” Tressa asked as she looked around. The sun was setting, and the shadows of the mountains were growing around them. It wasn’t a sight she had really seen before due to her confinement.

“That isn’t any of your concern,” the thief told her. “All that matters is that we’re here now.”

Tressa looked back at him. With the light of the setting sun still shining she could get a better view of what he looked like. He was young, though more than likely older than her, and surprisingly well kept for a thief. She had always been told they were dirty and lowly creatures not worth being called human. Her Goddess had made sure of that when she protected merchants from them. Well, that was what the stories had always said.

A bit wobbly, Tressa got back onto her feet and tried to find her bearings. “What do you want from me?” she asked the man. Her voice was loud and sharp, but it still had the slightest hint of fear. She was scared.

“I only wish to take you with me,” the thief said before chuckling. “I have no use of the wealth you give, but I still have reasons to keep you around.”

“I… I refuse to go with you!” Tressa said as she attempted to stand her ground. Her heart was racing and her mouth felt dry. She took deep breaths in attempts to stay calm.

The thief shook his head. “I’m not looking for your approval,” he told her. “I’ve taken you away once already.”

Tressa’s cheeks burned with anger. “Don’t think you’ll get away so easily!” she snapped at the thief through her fear. “My guards are searching for me as we speak, and once Leon hears word of this, you’re toast!”

The thief laughed. “How can you be so sure about that? Last I checked, your guards couldn’t even bother protecting you properly,” he mocked. Tressa felt her blood boiling. She wasn’t going to let him treat her like this.

“Just you watch! Leon is going to find me and take me back home!” she warned. “Protecting me is his duty as Ba- Ah!”

Tressa was cut off as the Prince of Thieves pulled on her arm. She stumbled forward and found herself trembling against him. It was terrifying.

“You put too much faith into that man,” the thief said as she was forced to look him in the eye. His gaze was fierce, and Tressa felt he was staring right through her. She tried her best to push him away.

“Unhand me right now!” Tressa demanded as she swiped her hand at him. “I won’t let you get away with this!”

“As you wish, Lady Bifelgan,” the thief said before letting her go. She stumbled back a bit, but she managed to hold her ground. She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

“You are disgusting!” she yelled at the thief. “It’s no wonder that Bifelgan looks down on your kind!” Her voice was loud but cracking. A slight echo could be heard throughout the mountains.

The Prince of Thieves smirked. “It seems that the gift of wealth was not the only thing that worthless goddess of yours granted you,” he mused. “She gave you quite the sharp tongue too.”

Tressa’s face heated up.  _How dare he!_  He had no right to speak ill of her goddess, especially as the Prince of Thieves! Appalled by his words, Tressa raised her hand up high. She swung hard, slapping the thief across his right cheek in frustration.

“You little brat!” the thief hissed as he rubbed his cheek. Tressa stood tall and proud, puffing her chest out to seem more confident. She was trying to not let her knees shake.

“I am Tressa Colzione, Divine Chosen and Bifelgan’s idol! I will not allow you to treat me like another piece of treasure in your collection!” she declared loudly. Even if she was afraid, she was refusing to show it. She would not let the Prince of Thieves have control over her.

But as he looked at her with his single eye, Tressa began to realize her mistake.

The shadows began to grow behind him, and the cold wind grew even harsher. As his scarf was blowing in the wind, the ends appeared to start turning into bright, red flames. He began walking towards her, and she backed away in fear. Soon, she found herself backed into the mountainside with nowhere she could run. She squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

“...we’re staying here for the night,” the thief suddenly told her. Tressa hesitantly opened her eyes, and she found that things had turned back to normal. The thief was staring at her blankly.

Tressa did not speak as the thief grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into a nearby cave. She was still terrified by what had happened and didn’t understand what had caused it. Though she had heard rumors of the Prince of Thieves having terrifying powers, nothing could have prepared her for what she had witnessed.

The thief forced Tressa to sit against the side of the cave. They were not deep within, but only a little light from the setting sun made its way in. It would be pitch black soon.

“Stay here. I’ll return later,” the thief said as he let go of Tressa’s arm. She refused to look at him and instead look towards the darkness in the cave.

“What if I try to run?” she asked. “There’s nothing preventing me from leaving while you’re gone.”

She heard the thief start walking away. “There’s nowhere for you to go. You’d end up wandering aimlessly in the mountains until I found you again,” he told her. Tressa huffed and watched the fading light as it tried to illuminate what it could of the cave.

“Better lost in the mountains than stuck with a thief,” she whispered angrily to herself. Even if he was right and she did end up wandering, it was better than sitting around. She wasn’t sure how far she could get, however, especially with it going to be dark soon.

“One last thing before I leave…” the Prince of Thieves said as he glanced back at Tressa. She could feel his intense gaze on her, and against her better judgement she looked up at him. The light behind him was fading fast, and she couldn’t make much of his expression out.

“Are you going to give me more words of wisdom?” she asked almost aggressively. Though she was still terrified of what the Prince could do, Tressa didn’t want to show any fear. She wanted him to know she wasn’t going down without a fight.

The thief was still looking at her. Even with the inability to make out his full expression, something felt odd to Tressa. It was almost of there was a hollow feeling inside of her as he stared. A moment later, he turned away again, and the hollow feeling vanished. He continued walking towards the cave’s entrance.

“Don’t you  _ever_  suggest I want to make you a part of my collection of treasure again.”

Tressa was left alone in darkness as the thief disappeared into the dying light outside. She stared wide-eyed as he vanished, and his words still rang in her ear. He had sounded angry, but she felt that it hadn’t been with her. It was a different kind of anger that she was picking up on; one that she had known well enough herself. An anger towards others who had put her in a position she didn’t want to be in.

She couldn’t understand why the Prince of Thieves would feel such a way, or what his motives to take her could have been. Though he claimed it wasn’t to make her a part of his collection, what else could it be? Tressa had been chosen by the Goddess Bifelgan to grant wealth to others, and she couldn’t think of a single thief who didn’t want that. She could even recall a few incidents where thieves had tried to get to her, but Leon had put them all to death immediately. It had been a horrible thing to witness, but it had to be done to keep her from being claimed as something she was not.

She wasn’t the living treasure people wanted her to be; she was just another teenage girl. Nobody had understood that, and they instead erased who she was and expected her to be Bifelgan in the Goddess’ place. Even the Prince of Thieves had said that was why he had come to see her; he had wanted to see Bifelgan’s chosen with his own eye. Even if he didn’t want wealth, he had surely wanted her. There was no other reason she would have been kidnapped.

_Unless…_

_Yes, it made sense… The shadows, his words, the flames, the strange powers he had..._

When the thief finally returned, Tressa had not moved from her spot. She believed she had come to understand what the Prince of Thieves was trying to do, and who he really was. Her eyes having adjusted to the darkness, she watched the thief as he moved towards her and placed something on the ground. A moment later, a fire was burning in front of her; he had gone out to get wood and started a blaze with fire magic. It only strengthened her suspicions.

Tressa took a deep breath. “....you’re a Divine Chosen too,” she said to him. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. The thief looked at her.

“So you’ve finally figured it out,” he told her before smirking. “I’m surprised that you didn’t realize it sooner. I thought I had made it rather obvious with my little stunt.”

Tressa inhaled sharply. “I’ve heard stories about you, the Prince of Thieves, but I would have never have thought…” she trailed off. She had always thought he was just some thief using Aeber’s title to inflict fear onto those he stole from, never that he had been chosen by the god himself. Thinking about it now though… It made sense. She wondered if her guards and handmaidens had known all along and had chosen not to tell her. They did like to keep her separated from the outside world afterall.

“Thieves don’t speak openly of Aeber’s stories,” the thief said as he sat down across from her. The flames illuminated his face, and Tressa could faintly see what she assumed was the mark of Aeber peering out from underneath his bangs. “My role as Aeber’s Legacy and the path to becoming chosen were always reserved for the ears of the misfortunate. A little girl living a life like yours wouldn’t have had a chance to hear them.”

“I’m not a little girl!” Tressa snapped in response. Even if she were confined to her home and lived a life of luxury, that didn’t make her a child. In fact, she was old enough to be considered a fully grown woman by some! Even Leon had told her she had blossomed into a beautiful young lady when she turned eighteen!

The thief laughed. “Keep telling yourself that, kid,” he mocked. Tressa felt herself growing increasingly frustrated, but she chose not to act on it. She couldn’t be sure what the Prince of Thieves was fully capable of now knowing that he was a Divine Chosen.

Tressa sat in an angry silence as the flames in front of her burned bright. Something about the way they burned was unnatural, but Tressa assumed it was because of the magic used to light it. Aeber had been known to be able to use powerful flame magic, and he was seen as a shadowy creature not of the natural world by Bifelgan. Surely it made sense for anything related to him to be unnatural. Even the Prince of Thieves came off that way.

The young idol began to shiver. Even with the fire, the cave was still mostly dark, and the surrounding area had grown cold. The outfit she donned as Bifelgan’s Idol was not suitable for such a climate, and it didn’t leave much to the imagination either. Though her skirt was longer, the top she wore barely covered her; the handmaidens thought it only appropriate that the Goddess of Fertility’s chosen showed her stomach. Tressa absolutely hated it, especially at her weight.

In an attempts to warm herself, Tressa moved closer to the flames. She could feel the Prince of Thieves’ eye on her as she moved, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Knowing who he was had only made things worse, especially not knowing what plans he held in store for her. She could only hope that an opportunity to escape would present itself soon, and that she wouldn’t be stuck with him much longer. She didn’t want to imagine what it would be like if she never made it home.

There was a soft thud next to her. Looking over, she could see the thief’s cloak lying on the ground nearby. She looked at him. “What are you doing?” she asked him. She noticed his own clothes underneath were older, but still presentable. She wondered if they were his actual clothes, or just something he had worn to blend in. Both seemed possible.

The thief shrugged. “It won’t do either of us any good if you freeze out here,” he told her. He didn’t seem to be affected by the cold, even with how old his clothes were. Tressa watched him carefully.

“I’m fine,” she told him bluntly. Even if she was cold, there was no reason she should trust him. He could easily be trying to trick her. Aeber was the God of Mischief after all.

The thief eyed Tressa’s attire. “There’s no use in being stubborn. Those clothes aren’t really going to do much in the way of keeping warm” he commented. Tressa’s face heated up, and she began to grow flustered.

“My clothing is none of your business!” she snapped before puffing her cheeks out. The Prince of Thieves rolled his eye and waved a hand towards her. He seemed unphased by Tressa’s attitude.

“Suit yourself. I just thought I’d lend a helping hand,” the thief said before stretching out in front of the fire. He didn’t bother taking the time to grab his cloak, and he looked slightly bored. Tressa wondered if she could try sneaking off after he fell asleep.

As time continued to pass, it only grew colder. Though the fire burnt brightly from the magic, it wasn’t enough to keep Tressa completely warm. Eyeing the cloak that was still next to her, she contemplated actually taking it. She couldn’t be sure if it was a smart decision, but she was chilled to her very core. At least with the cloak she’d be warm.

Reluctantly, Tressa reached for the cloak. She could feel the thief’s eye on her as she did so, and it was almost enough to stop her. There was a cold wind that blew out from deep within the cave, however, and when Tressa felt it, she picked up the cloak without a second thought. It was weighted, more than likely from stolen items stored in pockets, and surprisingly soft. Tressa carefully put it around herself and brought her knees close to her chest.

The thief sat back up. “Finally done acting like a stubborn child?” he asked. Tressa huffed and glared at him through the flames. She was getting sick of his words.

“I told you, I’m not a child,” she responded sharply. “I’m 18, which makes me a young woman by Rippletide’s standards. I’m more of an adult than you realize!”

The thief laughed in response; something about it put Tressa at unease. “You’re not truly an adult until you’ve seen the things I’ve seen. Horrible, horrible things worse than death,” he told her. “Who knows, maybe this little experience will be what you need to truly become an adult!”

Tressa felt her skin crawl. She couldn’t be sure what kind of things the Prince of Thieves was talking about, but a variety of images flashed through her mind. She had seen thieves die at the hands of Leon before, and that had already been hard enough. She couldn’t imagine how it could get worse. She tried not to think about it.

There was more silence as Tressa chose not to respond. There wasn’t much the two of them could discuss, and it wasn’t as if Tressa wanted to be there. She wanted to be back home where it was safe and warm; she wanted to be with her family. There had to be some way for her to get home… Something to get the thief to let her go...

“Tell me what you want from me,” she demanded. Though she had already asked him earlier, his answer had been vague. She thought that perhaps if she gave him what he desired he’d send her home before he could pull anything more on her.

“I already told you,” the thief responded; there was a glint of mischief in his eye. “I only wish to take you with me.”

Tressa swallowed dryly. “I can grant you wealth if it means you’ll let me go,” she told him. “It’s an easy blessing, and it lasts a long time. You won’t need to keep me in your collection-“

“I told you that I don’t want you as part of some collection!” the thief interrupted. He sounded angry. “People aren’t treasure, so stop acting like I’m going to treat you like one. Just because I ‘obtained’ you, it doesn’t mean I see you as some ‘living treasure’ like those worthless, pitiful travelers seeking wealth.”

Tressa winced; she hadn’t expected the Prince of Thieves to get so riled up. His normal smug aura was gone, and instead he gave off a feeling of frustration and annoyance. There was something going on with him that she didn’t fully understand.

“No more questions,” the thief suddenly told her. “We have a long journey ahead of us still, so you need  to sleep while you can.”

“But-“

“I said  _no more questions_ ,” the thief once again interrupted. He was intimidating, but there was still one other thing Tressa wanted to try and possibly get out of him.

“At least tell me what to call you,” she requested. She could see the light of the fire reflected in his eye. “You have to have some sort of name!”

The thief sighed. “...you can call me Aeber, like everyone else,” he told her. “I gave up my real name the day I was marked.”

Tressa felt a sudden emptiness. The two of them… They were similar in that aspect. The people had referred to her as the “Lady Bifelgan” for years now, and her own name had been erased. Her parents and Leon were the only ones left who still called her Tressa. She wondered if something similar had happened here, or if there was more to it. Chances were, however, that she wasn’t going to get an answer out of him any time soon.

“Well, Aeber…” she began. “You can keep calling me Tressa. Unlike you, I don’t like being called the name of my god.”

Aeber scoffed. “Go to sleep,” he demanded. “There’s nothing more to be said right now.”

Tressa took a deep breath. “Well, I think that we-“

“Go. To. Sleep.”

...Aeber really didn’t want her to continue talking it seemed.

Though she had been forced into silence, Tressa still made an attempt to stay awake. She was clinging to her hopes of sneaking off when Aeber fell asleep himself, so she tried to fight off any urge to doze as it came. As time passed, however, Aeber continued to only stare at the fire with no signs of growing tired. Tressa’s eyes were closing, and the crackling of the fire was oddly relaxing. Before she could stop herself, she curled up with the cloak tightly wrapped around her.

As she began to doze, Tressa thought she could hear something around her. A buzzing? Humming? It was quieter in comparison to the crackle of the fire whatever it was, but it was… Gentle. It gave her a sense of security as she fell asleep. She knew she was going to wake up in the morning.

Tressa dreamt that night.

She was back home, where her mother, father and Leon all stood waiting. They beckoned to her, and Tressa ran towards them as she began to weep. They embraced her tightly, and their warmth brought her a comfort and happiness that she felt she had been missing. They were telling her something, but they were all speaking at once and she couldn’t make out what any of them were saying. They were all smiling at her though.

Then a different voiced called out to her. Tressa turned around to see a beautiful masked woman standing with her hand reaching out towards the young girl. She was crying, and her hair was gently blowing in the wind. She was saying something, but the words were as distorted as the sounds in the warped reality Tressa had witnessed earlier. Tressa tried her best to make them out.

_“Aeber… Save me from…”_

Suddenly black flames began to surround the woman. A maniacal laugh rang in Tressa’s ears, and the world around her began to change. Humanoid shapes grew from the black flames, and they moved closer to Tressa. She tried to run, but when she tried to move she found that she had been frozen in fear. The woman spoke to her again.

_“Shadows... The shadows… Take me...”_

Tressa woke up to the feeling of something being thrown at her.

“Get dressed,” a voice told her as she sleepily sat up. The fire had gone out, but the sun was rising outside of the cave. It seemed the morning had finally come.

“What’s going on…?” she asked as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. Her vision was blurry, and she blinked a few times to get it back into focus. There was a white-haired man staring down at her.

 _...right_. She was still with the Prince of Thieves.

“We need to get moving while it’s still early,” Aeber told her. “There’s a town about two miles from here where we’ll be able to pick up supplies.”

Tressa looked down at the items thrown at her. “And what’s this?” she asked as she picked one of them up. It appeared to be clothing.

“A disguise for you,” Aeber explained. “I already snuck into the town once in order to get it. It was from some unopened crates in a shop, so they shouldn’t realize it’s missing.”

She looked up at him. “Why didn’t you just steal the supplies you needed while you were already there? You are a thief, aren’t you?” she asked almost mockingly. It didn’t make sense for him to come all the way back only to return to town later. Aeber, however, gestured down towards her.

“Two people means we need twice as much supplies, which means more to carry,” he pointed out. “It’s easier if we both go, and buying it in broad daylight casts less suspicion on me being a thief.”

 _So he had thought through it after all…_  A town though? It was the perfect opportunity for Tressa to try and escape! All she had to do was tell somebody who she was, and they could get help! It seemed Aeber hadn’t actually put in as much thought as he thought he did!

“...can I have some privacy while I change?” Tressa asked in attempts to change the subject. She didn’t want Aeber realizing the flaw in his plan and finding a way to work around it. It was too perfect the opportunity.

Aeber turned away and towards the entrance of the cave. “Of course. I have no interest in watching you change,” he told her as the sun continued rising. “Just let me know when you’re finished.”

Tressa stood up and looked at the clothes she had been given. A dress, gloves, travel boots, and a cloak… They were plain in comparison to what she wore now. That was the point, however, as her current outfit made her stick out like a sore thumb.

Glancing to make sure Aeber wasn’t watching, Tressa stripped down. She wasn’t used to clothing herself- the handmaidens had always done it for her- but she admittedly enjoyed not needing a helping hand. It had been a long while since she had the freedom to get dressed on her own.

As Tressa began to dress, her thoughts wandered. Now that she was more awake, she was able to think more about the dream she was having before she had been so rudely awakened. She could remember bits and pieces, but some parts she had completely forgotten. Her parents had been there, and so had Leon, along with a woman she couldn’t recognize. The woman asked Tressa to do something…

_Save her from somebody? Take her somewhere?_

Tressa couldn’t recall the details.

“Are you done yet?” Aeber asked, breaking the silence they were in. Tressa looked to make sure he still wasn’t looking- he wasn’t- and worked to dress herself faster.

“Almost,” Tressa answered as she buttoned up her vest. The clothes were comfortable, but definitely something she wasn’t used to wearing. As she went to place her hat on her head, she realized her ponytail had come undone during the night.

“There’s no use in delaying us any further,” Aeber told Tressa as he continued waiting for her. “I’ll drag you out of here half-dressed if I really have to.”

Tressa stuck her tongue out at Aeber for just a moment as she finished dressing herself. “I’m ready,” she said a second later as she worked to adjust her cloak. It was difficult with how long her hair was, but she was managing. While she worked to pin the cloak closed, she felt something else get thrown at her.

“Place your other clothes in that pack,” Aeber told her as he walked over. When he was next to her, he reached down and picked his own cloak off the ground. It was dirty.

“Can I at least wear my necklace still?” Tressa asked as she kneeled down and opened the pack. She wasn’t going to tell Aeber about it, but she wanted to use it to prove her status as a Divine Chosen. The necklace had belonged to Bifelgan herself and would serve as a good indicator of who she was.

To Tressa’s annoyance, Aeber grabbed the necklace from the pile of clothes and looked at it. “Hm, high quality jewelry…” he commented as he held it in his hand. A moment later, he handed it to Tressa. “Go ahead.”

Thankful for the stroke of luck, Tressa took the necklace and placed it around her neck. Fully dressed, she took her remaining clothes and placed them in the pack she had received. It was more of a satchel in design, but it had been designed to store a lot in it. She moved her cloak and placed the pack over her shoulder when she was finished.

“All done,” Tressa said as she stood up straight. She definitely felt different, but she wasn’t too sure on whether she liked it or not. She didn’t feel it mattered though, since she hopefully wouldn’t have to deal with it much longer.

“Just one more thing,” Aeber began as he reached into his cloak. Tressa was shocked to see him pull out a dagger, and even more so when he held it close to her face. She panicked.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she tried to back away. Aeber grabbed onto her arm, however, and kept her from moving too far.

“Hold still,” he said as he held the knife right to her neck. Tressa closed her eyes in terror, unsure of what was going to happen next.

She heard the sound of something being cut.

And then her head suddenly felt lighter.

Tressa opened her eyes; Aeber was standing with the dagger in one hand and long lengths of hair,  _her hair_ , in the other. “Longer hair is difficult to maintain when traveling and just gets in the way,” he said. “You’re better off keeping it short.”

Tressa touched the spot where her ends now reached; her hair had been cut to shoulder length. “Nobody has cut my hair in years,” she said as she felt the difference. Something about it felt oddly freeing.

The thief shrugged. “Get used to it,” he said as he held out his hand over the ashes of the fire. Tressa watched as he muttered something and the lengths he held began to burn. It seemed he was getting rid of evidence.

Her hair now short, Tressa tried her best to pull it back. There was enough to keep it in a ponytail, but she kept feeling her hat was in the way. Taking it off, she pulled her hair up before putting the hat back on.

“So, supplies then?” Tressa asked as she adjusted her pack. She was still trying to figure out her best way to freedom, but didn’t want Aeber to catch on. She’d have to go through with his plans for now.

“And then we continue to the desert,” the thief added on. He began to head out of the cave. Tressa followed.

The scenery was far different with the morning sun. Though the shadows still loomed, there were softer than the evening before. The mountains in the distance were visible, and Tressa thought that she could see a path leading down to the Coastlands too. Perhaps they weren’t that far from home after all. It was almost comforting.

“Let’s go,” Aeber said as he took her hand and led Tressa down a beaten path. He moved faster than her, and she was having to walk fast to keep up. She really wasn’t that used to moving on her own two feet.

“Slow down!” she shouted as she stumbled after him. Aeber came to an abrupt stop and turned towards her. Tressa had to try her best to not trip.

“What? You can walk, can’t you?” Aeber asked with a deadpan expression. He seemed annoyed she had stopped him. Tressa puffed out her cheeks and stomped her foot.

“Of course I can! You’re just moving too fast!” she complained. She wasn’t a thief like him and wasn’t in the best shape either. She also hadn’t eaten since the day before.

Aeber sighed. “Fine, I’ll slow down,” he told her. He was still holding her hand, and he squeezed it tightly as he continued dragging her along. Tressa followed.

The journey to town didn’t seem long, but it was difficult. The rocky mountain trails of the Highlands were unsteady, and Tressa found herself almost tripping more than once. Aeber had also moved from holding her hand to her holding her wrist, and it didn’t make the walk anymore comfortable. She wasn’t used to walking this far either, so she began to feel pain in her feet rather quickly. She had to ignore it, however, it she wanted to make any progress towards freedom.

As they walked, Tressa couldn’t help but notice how incredible the view was. They were high up in the mountains, and evergreen trees and fascinating rock formations were sprinkled all along the cliffside. Birds were chirping happily, and a variety of mountain wildlife ran past them. They were all creatures she had only heard about in stories from Leon, and seeing them for herself almost felt like a dream. She thought that any moment she would wake back up and find herself back in her bed at home.

She was only slightly disappointed she didn’t.

At some point as they continued to move down the path, Tressa realized she could see buildings growing in the distance. They were getting closer to the town Aeber was taking her to, which meant it would only be a bit longer before she had her chance to escape. She was feeling hopeful, and she had to try her best to not start running towards the town. That would only raise Aeber’s suspicions against her, and she had been doing so well to hide her plan.

It was when they came to a split in the path that Aeber came to a stop. “The path is a bit confusing here, but we’ll be there soon,” he said as he finally let go of Tressa’s wrist. His hand and her wrist had managed to get sweaty during the walk. It was kind of gross.

“How much longer?” Tressa asked. She was trying her best not to be impatient, but it was her freedom that was at stake. The town had become a beacon of hope for her, and better yet, Aeber still hadn’t caught on!

Aeber turned to her. “About ten more minutes if we take the correct path,” he informed her. “The rest mostly lead to more caves and other towns. At least one leads out towards the desert.”

“Alright,” she said as she nodded. Ten more minutes. Ten more minutes until she found somebody. Ten more minutes before she would be saved. Ten more minutes until…

Her stomach growled.

“Hm, right. You haven’t eaten today,” Aeber commented. Tressa’s stomach growled again, and her cheeks turned a bit pink.

“It’s not like you’ve been trying to feed me,” Tressa pointed out while muttering. If she had to guess, it had been at least an entire 24 hours since she last ate. It was miraculous she had managed to make the trip on such little energy.

Aeber began searching through his cloak. “Here, take this. It’ll help,” he said as he handed something to her. “It’s small, but it’s better to have something in your stomach than nothing at all.”

Tressa stared at the item handed to her. It was an herb of some sort, and she didn’t think she could trust it. The only kinds of herbs she had seen before were for medicinal purpose, and this one didn’t look like any of them. It didn’t seem like a good idea…

But then her stomach growled again.

She was starving.

Reluctantly, Tressa ate the herb she had been given. At first, she felt nothing, but after a few seconds her hunger became sated. Whatever this herb was, it had managed to fill her up despite the small size. Satisfied, she went to thank the thief despite her wariness towards him…

But realized she couldn’t.

Aeber began to smirk. “Silencing herb,” he informed her. “Great for hunger pains, but terrible for the voice. There’s no chance of you telling anybody who you are now. Don’t think I didn’t realize the risks of going to town.” He started to laugh, almost maniacally so, and Tressa felt her face heat up.

Her hope of escaping disappeared along with her voice. Out of frustration, she began to beat on Aeber’s chest with clenched fists. She thought she was going to cry.

“It’ll wear off soon enough,” Aeber taunted as he grabbed her hands. Angry, Tressa pulled her hands away and glared at him. He was still smirking.

Seeing no other option than to move forward, Tressa stormed down the path. Though her voice was gone, she still had her necklace as proof of her status. Somehow, she’d find a way to tell somebody who she was with it, and then she’d be free from Aeber’s clutches. She didn’t know what he wanted from her, but she wasn’t going to stick around to find out. One way or another, she was going home.

“You’re going the wrong way,” Aeber called out to her. Looking back, she could see him pointing in a completely different direction. Flustered, Tressa stormed back over and went down the proper path. Aeber followed behind, eventually passing her to lead the way.

Tressa would have to think of a new plan before they reached town, or risk another night at Aeber’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After about two weeks of work, I've finally managed to finish another chapter! My original plan had this combined with the next chapter, but this section ended up being so long I decided to split them into two. For the first few chapters or so it'll swap between Therion and Tressa's points of views, but as we get farther it'll be from the viewpoint of whoever works best.
> 
> For now though, it seems our little mystery thickens. Tressa may have gotten some answers, but now she has a lot more questions she wants to ask! ...unfortunately for her, she can't really do much while silenced. I hope Therion is prepared to handle when those effects wear off though, so she's not going to be happy with him at all.
> 
> Oh, and before I forget! I do actually have references for Tressa's original outfit all drawn up and am currently working on a reference for Therion's main outfit! Each important character is going to get at least two outfits (a main and traveling outfit), and I plan to draw out all of them over the course of this series! In the case of this chapter, I make reference to both Tressa's main and traveling outfit and Therion's traveling outfit! If you guys want to see what they look like, they'll eventually be posted on my twitter @woodland_knight, starting with both of their main outfits later today :D
> 
> See you all next chapter!


	3. A Traveler's Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Tressa silenced, Therion takes her into town to purchase the supplies they need for their journey. Though the idol can't speak, she still tries to cause what trouble she can in hopes of getting the attention of those around them and escaping. Therion, however, has no plans of letting her go, even with her antics and constant interruptions from others in the area.

The town of Cobbleston was quaint. Being tucked away within the mountains, it was relatively small, with only a few dozen villagers making it their home. Most residents were farmers or shepherds who lived simple lives, but the town itself was fairly well known amongst travelers who regularly passed through. Being located along the quickest route between the Sunlands and Coastlands, it was commonplace for the inn and tavern to be filled with patrons needing a temporary place to stay. The shops were always readily stocked with supplies as well.  


A light breeze blew as Therion and Tressa walked up a rocky path towards the small town. It was still early in the day, and the only people outside were farmers and shepherds attending to their duties. Though a few looked at the duo as they passed, none tried to approach them. Therion and Tressa were simply another pair of travelers passing through- a part that Therion made sure the two of them played well. To anyone who saw them, there was nothing suspicious at all.

“The supply shop should be just up this road,” Therion told Tressa as he dragged her along. He had looped his arm through hers to keep her close, and she unwillingly followed him as they moved up the path.

Thanks to the silencing herb she had been given, Tressa was unable to respond. Therion had quickly learned that the girl was rather sharp-tongued and didn’t know when to shut up. She liked to ask questions too, much to his annoyance. Even if he hadn’t wanted to keep her in line while they were in town, he had a feeling he would have given her the silencing herb anyway. He found her and her pretty face a lot nicer when she couldn’t say a word.

As the two continued forward, Therion kept an eye on all those they passed. None of the villagers seemed to be poor, but they weren’t particularly well off either. They didn’t look like they would have any items of interest for the thief to take.

Though Therion had come with the intentions to buy and not steal, it didn’t stop him from wanting to locate a target. There were plenty of items that were better off being stolen than bought, and he wasn’t one to carry a large amount of leaves on him. Supplies was normally cheap and easy to obtain from shops, but there was one thing on his mind that he’d rather acquire in a different way. He continued to eye the farmers and shepherds in hopes one would look like a worthy mark, but none of them seemed to be visibly carrying what he was looking for. Perhaps he wasn’t going to be so lucky after all.

“Watch out!”

There was a sudden loud noise as a horse-drawn cart suddenly passed in front of them. Acting quickly, Therion pulled Tressa close to prevent her from being hit, and a light gust blew passed them as he did so. Holding the reins of the horses pulling the cart was an old man, who was visibly shaken from almost hitting the two travelers. Therion glared at him but managed to keep his cool to avoid trouble.

“Are you alright?” Therion asked the elderly gentleman. The man had placed his hand over his chest and was breathing rather heavily. He was in shock over what had transpired.

“I should be the one asking you that!” the old man responded as his breathing started to regulate. “These damn horses refuse to listen to me sometimes!”

Tressa, visibly frightened by the ordeal, was tightly clinging to Therion’s arm. It wasn’t the best way to start their visit to the town, but it was a sign that Therion probably needed to be more careful and watch where they were going. He had a rather unfortunate habit of bringing both fortune  _and_  misfortune to his surrounding area due to the blessings of Aeber, and it seemed today was leaning more towards the misfortunate side of things.

“No harm, no foul,” Therion told the older gentleman. The thief’s signature fake smile was back, and he was trying to put the old man at ease. Therion wanted to get him to continue moving along before he could ask any questions.

“Perhaps I’m getting a tad to old for this delivery business,” the gentleman commented to himself as he adjusted the reins. With the old man distracted by the horses, Therion took it as an opportunity to eye the contents in the cart. It appeared to be a collection of weapons.

 _Swords, axes, spears, bows, and the occasional dagger and staff…_  Perhaps it was Therion’s lucky day after all. Wherever the old man was heading with the delivery, it was definitely somewhere in need of weapons. It was exactly what Therion had been hoping for.

“That’s quite the interesting delivery you have there,” Therion commented as he moved closer to the cart. The weapons looked to be of high quality, and some of them were decorated in a rather ornate manner. He wondered if they were actually of any use or only for show.

The old man looked back over. “Oh, yes! Quite!” he told the younger man. “I’m taking most of these weapons to Rippletide, and the rest up to Noblecourt. They were special ordered from two very powerful families a few weeks apart, so I figured it was easiest to do both deliveries in one trip.”

Therion saw Tressa perk up. Upon hearing about the delivery to Rippletide, both she and the thief had realized the same thing: that part of the delivery was most likely for her guard. Tressa stepped forward and went to speak, but not a sound came out. She was still silenced, much to Therion’s amusement.

The gentleman furrowed his brow. “Are you alright, Lass?” he asked Tressa. In a way that was out of the old man’s view, Therion gripped her wrist tightly as a warning to watch herself. It was too risky to pull the same stunt he had done yesterday, and if she managed to cause trouble here, Therion would have no choice but to try and blind the old man and run. It was cruel, but Therion was determined to keep Tressa with him until they reached the Cliftlands.

“You’ll have to excuse my friend here, sir. She’s been mute for the past few months due to an illness, and she sometimes goes to speak out of habit,” Therion instinctively lied. “We’re actually heading to the Riverlands in hope of finding an Apothecary who can cure her. There’s plenty there to choose from with it being Dohter’s domain.”

Tressa had started glaring at him. He wasn’t paying much attention to her with his eye on the old man, but he could sense her gaze. He gripped her wrist tighter and bent it in a way that surely would be uncomfortable. He was making sure not to hurt her, however, as any reaction she had may have resulted in more questions.

The gentleman stroked his chin. “Ah, the poor dear. I’ve heard something about a disease like that going around; it’s quite dreadful. I hope it works out for you two and you find somebody who can help,” he told them. Therion continued to smile at the gentleman and began to move around the cart in attempts to get away.

“I’m sure Bifelgan has blessed us with good fortune, and that my friend will find her voice again soon,” Therion told the man. Tressa was fumbling with her necklace as they moved, and it seemed she was trying to show it to the old man. The stone glistened lightly in the sun.

“I should get going now before I hold the two of you up any longer! You have quite the journey ahead of you, especially without a horse!” the gentleman pointed out. One of the horses whinnied as he said that, and the man went to pet them. Therion saw it as the perfect opportunity to reach into the cart and swipe an ornate dagger from within. He could sense Tressa glaring at him again as she held her necklace tight.

“Have a safe journey, sir, and may Aeber grant you any luck that you need for it,” Therion politely stated. He hid the dagger within his cloak, next to the one he had used to cut the idol’s hair earlier in the day. Surely the recipient wouldn’t notice a single dagger was missing when the old man got there, and even if they did, it wasn’t Therion’s problem.

With a loud shout and snap of the reins, the gentleman left the two travelers behind. As the man disappeared into the distance, Therion suddenly felt Tressa push him. It wasn’t that hard- the girl only had so much strength- but it was enough to cause him to stumble and let go of her wrist. Looking at her, Therion could see she was still gripping her necklace and trying to shout at him. When no sound continued to come out, she huffed and stormed up the path they had been following; Therion quickly followed behind her.

“Ah ah ah, not so fast,” he said as he caught up and looped his arm around hers again. “You don’t want to almost get hit by a horse again, do you?”

Tressa let go of her necklace and shoved her now free hand at Therion’s face. She was undoubtedly unhappy with the situation she had been put in, but he couldn’t cast any blame at her. He had taken her from her family and her home, and now he was planning to drag her across Orsterra. He thought he had been doing her a favor though- who would even enjoy living life the way she did? Not Therion, certainly; he hated the idea of being cooped up like that.

Therion once again grabbed Tressa’s wrist. “Will you stop that?” he demanded as he pushed her hand down. “You’re causing yourself far more trouble than it’s worth right now and you’re acting like a child.”

If Therion hadn’t been holding Tressa’s wrist nor had a hold on her other arm, she certainly would have slapped him again. She was puffing her cheeks out in annoyance, and her glare was fierce. For a moment, Therion wondered if Bifelgan had acted this way around Aeber as well. She was always said to be the youngest of the thirteen gods, with Aeber being her senior by a few hundred years. Then he remembered they were normally fighting each other, so chances of an interaction like this having occurred were slim.

“Come on,” Therion said as he took Tressa back along the path. Though it had been a year since his last visit to the village- not including his visit from the previous night- he remembered the layout well. The stores he had obtained Tressa’s clothes had been on the western side of town, while the supply shop was to the north. It wasn’t that far of a walk.

As they followed the path up north, other travelers began to emerge on the streets. Most of them had grouped together, while a few chose to travel on their own. Tressa and Therion certainly blended in among them, but Therion did not attempt to make their presence known. He wanted to make it to the supplies shop without being stopped to banter about their travels. After a bit more walking and avoiding the gazes of those they passed, the two travels reached the building where the shop was located.

…but the shop wasn’t there.

Therion looked around in confusion. “I swear this is where it was last time I was here,” he said to himself as he tried to spot any signs of where it had gone. Though the building was obviously part of a shopfront, it was empty and bare. Therion didn’t think it had been in use for quite some time.

As Therion dragged Tressa around in attempts to locate the shop, he grew frustrated. He had planned everything out perfectly, but now he had been inconvenienced by such a small change. He didn’t have time to waste on their journey, so he had to find the shop soon or risk losing a day of travel. As he continued walking, he swore he saw Tressa trying to laugh at him. She was finding amusement in his failure.

“Stop that,” Therion grumbled as he stood back in front of the abandoned shop front. The idol was smirking- though it bordered a regular smile more than a smirk- and Therion let out a deep sigh. Their next stop was the desert, and he needed to make sure they had enough supplies for the journey. If Tressa knew of the dangers they faced, maybe it’d wipe that smile right off her face.

“Excuse me, are you alright?”

 _Great, somebody else to bother them._  Therion turned around and was greeted by a young woman who was barely taller than Tressa. Her lilac hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she was carrying a shortsword on her hip. She appeared to be a local by the way she dressed and was probably part of the town’s guard. Therion didn’t see her as much of a threat though, especially with her stature.

“Ah yes, we’re fine,” Therion said as he brought Tressa close again. He didn’t need the young idol causing more trouble, so he unhooked his arm from hers and put it around her shoulder instead. Like this, he had an easier time keeping both of her arms down.

“You’re looking for the supply shop, aren’t you?” the woman asked before smiling. “It’s actually on the eastern side of town now! They moved it about six months ago to a more convenient location for travelers.”

The eastern side of town? Of course, that meant they had walked right past it, probably when they had dealt with that old man...  _Ugh._

“Thank you,” Therion simply said as he tried to lead Tressa away- he didn’t need anymore interruptions. Much to his annoyance, however, the woman followed.

“Here, let me show you where it is! My adoptive father and I are both locals here, so I know where everything around here is!” she cheerfully mentioned. “It comes in handy when I find travelers like you wandering around!”

Therion stopped and looked at the woman; she didn’t seem like she was going to leave them alone. “This isn’t my first time in town, just the first time since the changes,” he bluntly told her. He thought perhaps if he acted a bit cold, it would get her to go away. Nobody liked dealing with a rude traveler.

The woman, however, was still smiling. “Hey, don’t worry about it! You’re not the first person to get turned around by it!” she said before holding out her hand. “The name is Cecily, by the way! Cecily Eisenberg!”

Therion didn’t bother taking her hand. “Thank you for the offer to help, but we’re fine,” he said before trying to walk off. As he did so, Tressa began squirming and started pushing him away. She was trying to get him to loosen his grip on her.

“Hey, are you okay?” Cecily asked as she tried to place her hands on Tressa’s shoulder. Therion recoiled out of habit, stepping back slightly and taking Tressa with him. Cecily was staring.

“Sorry about that,” Therion apologized. “My friend here accidentally silenced herself when we were searching for medicinal herbs. I was lucky enough to have a silence warding charm on me, so it didn’t affect me, but I’m pretty sure she has some spores on her still. We were hoping to pick up some echo herbs from the supply shop to cure her.”

It was a bad lie he had to come up with on the spot, but it was something.

“Oh, I see! I guess I should be careful then!” Cecily said without a second thought. Even if if was a bad lie, at least the woman had fallen for it. Tressa tried to shake her head to signal it wasn’t true, prompting Therion to prop his head on top of hers to keep her from moving. He was squishing her hat and it was a bit uncomfortable for him.

“My name is Elwood, and this is Lyna. We’re currently traveling to Saintsbridge in order to see her mother,” Therion continued to lie. He couldn’t use the false name of Os anymore due to the risk of being caught, and instead tried to use one that sounded local to the Coastlands. Tressa might have not needed one knowing her situation, but Therion had wanted to be on the safe side.

“Saintsbridge? That’s not too bad of a trip!” Cecily commented. “I’m actually about to leave on a trip too, but I plan to see everywhere I can before coming back home!”

Therion flashed another false smile. “Perhaps we’ll see eachother again in the future then,” he told her. Of course, if things went as he planned, this was the only time he’d ever see the woman. He could at least humor her for now though. Underneath him, Tressa was starting to squirm again.

Cecily looked down at Tressa. “Here, let me get you guys to the supply shop so you can get those Echo Herbs! You don’t look to be happy just standing around while we talk, Lyna,” she said as she gestured towards them and headed back down the path. Straightening up, Therion grabbed Tressa’s hand and followed Cecily’s lead. It seemed the woman wasn’t going to let them go off on their own.

As Therion tried to follow, however, there was a sudden sharp pain in his leg. It wasn’t horrible, but it was enough for him to let go of Tressa’s hand and reach down to check where the pain was. As he held his leg, Therion glared up at Tressa, who was glaring in return and puffing her cheeks out again. She had kicked him.

“You are such a child,” Therion grumbled as he stood back up. Tressa huffed loudly and went after Cecily, and Therion followed the best he could with his leg now hurting slightly. He wasn’t too worried about the idol revealing herself, since Cecily had easily fallen for his lie, so he figured he’d give Tressa a bit of time to walk around without him holding onto her. He also didn’t want her to kick him again.

The supply shop was thankfully just a short walk from where the old location had been. It was placed near one of the paths leading into town, but Therion and Tressa had come off a slightly different path than the one it was located by. Therion felt a bit better knowing that he hadn’t missed it as a result of the old man, but he wished he had noticed the move when he had been in the town the previous night. It would have saved them a lot of trouble, and they wouldn’t have to be accompanied by the young woman. Thankfully, Cecily hadn’t grown suspicious of him yet.

“Here you go!” Cecily exclaimed as she gestured towards the shop. A few other travelers were standing outside of it, while others were inside trying to bargain with the owner. It was a rather lively place.

“We appreciate the help, Cecilia,” Therion said as he eyed the different travelers. They seemed to have come from all over, though none of them looked to be carrying anything of use to him. It wasn’t too much of a problem, however, as he had already stolen the dagger from the old man earlier, saving Therion some trouble.

The woman blinked. “...Cecily. It’s Cecily,” she reminded him with a grumble. Therion really didn’t care that he messed the woman’s name up, but Tressa leaned over and pinched him for it. She was really getting on his nerves.

“My apologies, Cecily,” Therion said as he waved Tressa’s hand away. “I guess I’ve been so focused on Lyna that I haven’t been paying enough attention.”

Cecily began smiling again despite her previous complaint. “Well, she definitely seems to like causing you trouble!” she commented. She must have noticed that Tressa had pinched him. Therion gave a deadpan stare.

“You have no idea,” he responded. Tressa was trying to push against his face again and he slowly went to grab her wrist. Apparently it was an amusing sight, as Cecily and even some nearby travelers started laughing.

“Cecily! I need you to come home and help me with something!”

The group turned their attention back up the path. Near the top of the hill was a broad shouldered man who was shouting down to them. Therion noted how tall the man was, and something about him made the thief uncomfortable. It felt like the surrounding area had suddenly changed, and Therion didn’t like it.

“Coming, dad!” Cecily shouted in response before looking back at the travelers. “Sorry, I have to go! Have a safe journey!”

“Safe travels to you too,” Therion said before the woman ran off. Now that she was gone, Therion felt he had one less thing to worry about. He was getting really tired of the constant interruptions.

Much to his relief, there were no major incidents while Therion purchased the supplies they needed for their journey through the desert. Though Tressa did try and get the attention of the other travelers once or twice, Therion got her to stop rather quickly by bringing her close and gripping her wrist whenever she tried to wander. Even if she was being a brat and causing him trouble, he was managing to keep her in line without having to hurt her. Intimidating her and making her uncomfortable were fine, but he had no interest in causing her pain. There was no reason for him to.

Once their supplies was purchased and packed, the two finally left the shop. It was almost noon now, as Therion has spent extra time making sure they had everything they needed, and the town had started to warm up. The breeze had halted, and only a few clouds were in the sky. If it was any indicator of how the weather in the desert would be, they needed the extra time Therion had taken to prepare. The desert was normally hot, but a desert with only sun and no wind was even worse.

As the pair stood in front of shop, Therion double checked the small pouch he kept on his belt. Most of the supplies they needed were either in his cloak or in Tressa’s pack, but a few important items he had placed there instead. Medicinal herbs, what remaining leaves he had on his person, and a few magic shards for last minute escapes. Everything seemed to be in order, and he felt confident in himself. They’d be able to make it to their next destination without a problem.

“We have one more stop I’d like to make,” Therion mentioned while closing the pack. Tressa’s silence had yet to wear off, so she gave Therion a look to express both her confusion and curiosity. He pointed towards a path leading to the other side of town. “Right down this road,” he told her. A few travelers were heading down it already.

Despite the chance of her trying to run, Tressa was allowed to take the lead again. Therion felt he had proven his point well enough that he wasn’t going to let her escape, and he had grown tired of her trying to push him around. Though it had mostly been her being pesky, he hadn’t appreciated her kicking him in the leg. Amusingly enough to him, however, the girl had loudly tried claiming she was an adult the previous evening, but Therion could only see a child causing trouble.  _What an adult she was turning out to be..._

“Here,” Therion said as he stopped in front of the local tavern. The smell of ale and other, less pleasurable things was in the air, but Therion didn’t let it bother him. It wasn’t his first time going to a place like this.

Tressa looked at the tavern and then back at Therion. Her expression seemed to be a mix of both anger and horror, and she stomped her foot down to express her displeasure. Therion rolled his eye and grabbed her arm again, and she stumbled forward as she was brought back over to his side.

“We’re not getting anything to drink. I’m just checking for something,” Therion assured her. The idol was undoubtedly either pouting or glaring at him, but he didn’t glance to check. He was too busy eyeing the other patrons he could see through the window..

When the two entered, there was a loud discussion happening in the corner of the room. A group of four travelers who seemed to be from very different places had gathered for a chat and a bite to eat, and based on the amount of glasses they had, quite a few drinks as well. Therion knew that would make them the perfect targets for gathering information.

After ordering something small for himself and Tressa to eat, Therion led her over to the opposite corner of the travelers and sat down at an empty table. The travelers were discussing where they had all been before they had arrived in Cobbleston, and there were plenty of stories being passed around. Therion leaned back in his chair and began to listen in.

“They say Balogar’s Lord is down south for a bit,” the only female of the group mentioned. “I heard the two lackies he brings everywhere were causing a bit of trouble in the town near the shrine. It’s surprising to think such a talented man keeps two awful soldiers like them around.”

The shortest of the travelers leaned closer to their companions. “I heard rumors he’s there because somebody vandalized Balogar’s Shrine and tried to kill the priest. The priest was able to hold his own though- apparently he used to sail a lot before taking up the role- and scared the intruder off,” they said. The group began whispering after that, and Therion wasn’t able to make much of anything out. They seemed to still be focused on the topic at hand though.

“Interesting…” Therion muttered before looking at Tressa. She hadn’t heard anything of what had been said it seems, or she had chosen not to pay attention to the chatter. She was too busy fiddling with the necklace she was wearing.

While the travelers continued to whisper, the food Therion ordered was brought over. It was a small bowl of chowder for Tressa with a side of plums for them to split- a common meal ordered by travelers in the area who were getting ready to leave. Even the group next to them had ordered the same thing. Tressa, however, only looked at her food and dared not touch it.

“I didn’t have them do anything to the chowder if that’s what you think,” Therion said before grabbing and taking a bite out of a plum. He personally preferred apples, but he wasn’t going to complain about food. It had been hard to come by before Aeber marked him, so now he was grateful for all the food he could get.

Hesitantly, Tressa took the spoon given to her and began to eat. Though she was slow at first, as she realized there wasn’t anything wrong with it, she began to eat faster. It seemed she still had an appetite even after the silencing herb, though it was understandable. Therion hadn’t really given her much to eat beyond that. He’d have to do a better job at that while he had her around.

“Did you hear about what’s going on in Rippletide?” the eldest traveler suddenly asked his group. Therion’s ears perked up, and he stopped mid-bite. It seemed the group had finally gotten to the topic he had been hoping to hear about.

“You mean about the Living Goddess?” the last traveler, the most well-dressed, asked. “I heard that people are getting really upset because nobody has been allowed to see her in weeks.”

“Don’t you think that’s kind of sad though? All those people are so desperate to get wealth that they go to harass a little girl in her own home,” the female traveler added. “Her poor guards probably put up with so much.”

 _Good…_  It seemed word of Tressa’s kidnapping hadn’t spread yet. Though Therion had managed to outrun the guards with his little stunt, he couldn’t have been certain about whether or not the word had gotten out. The Highlands were hard to traverse, but words and rumors traveled fast. The news could have easily traveled to the town of Cobbleston overnight.

“They say the Prince of Thieves is in the area too,” the eldest traveler mentioned. Therion immediately became on edge at the mention of himself. He hated hearing people talk about him; the rumors were never good.

The shortest traveler took a drink and put his glass down. “That so called ‘Prince’ is nothing more than a crook causing trouble and soiling Aeber’s name,” they said. “Aeber isn’t a perfect god, but his blessing is what keeps us travelers safe. If it weren’t for him, it wouldn’t be safe to go out on your own.”

There was laughter from the female traveler. “You say that like you’ve forgotten everything Aeber did after Bifelgan rejected him! That so-called god is almost as low as the Fallen God himself, and even his followers are pieces of shit,” she responded so loudly that even Tressa heard her. The idol was looking over at the group now, wondering what they were talking about. Therion, meanwhile, ignored the jabs the travelers were making about him.

The well-dressed traveler spoke up again. “You know, some people think Bifelgan was in love with Aeber too,” he mentioned. “She only rejected him because he had changed from who he used to be, and she could barely recognize him after he obtained so much power. Though none of the texts mention it, it doesn’t stop some scholars from speculating it.”

The female traveler laughed again. “Honestly, I doubt that she could ever love such a gross creature like Aeber! Bifelgan is a noble woman after all- she wouldn’t even consider giving her heart to a thief!” she bellowed. “Aeber, the so-called ‘prince of thieves’, and anybody who follows him are soulless demons who can rot in-”

There was a crash.

Nobody saw what had caused it, but the glasses that were on the travelers’ table had been violently pushed off and towards the tavern wall. Ale and mead dripped down the aging wood, and shards of glass were spread all along the ground. The travelers stared in shock at the wreckage, along with the other patrons in the building. Even Therion and Tressa were staring in disbelief.

“...I think we should go,” Therion said as a waitress ran over to clean the mess. Looking over, Therion saw that Tressa still had a bit left to finish. He sighed. “Do you want to finish eating first?”

Tressa nodded. Even if Therion wanted to get a move on, he didn’t want the girl complaining once her silence finally wore off. He probably would have to deal with enough of it with the heat, and he didn’t want to deal with her being hungry too. He had made sure to buy a couple of snacks for the road, but nothing that counted as a full meal. If worse came to worse, however, he could always silence her again.

While Tressa finished her chowder, the group of travelers had gone back to whispering. Therion had no interest in listening in further and instead sat still leaning back in his chair. The window had been opened to air out the smell of the spilt alcohol, but it only made the air feel stagnant. The thief was ready to leave.

Once Tressa cleaned her bowl, Therion had her pack the plums they hadn’t eaten yet while keeping one out for the road. After paying and giving a final tip to the waitress with his remaining leaves, Therion took Tressa’s hand once more and took her outside. Based on how much time had passed since they had arrived, he assumed her voice would be returning soon, so he wanted to get out of town before she had a chance to speak.

“Our next destination is Sunshade,” Therion informed the girl. “We aren’t traveling at the most ideal time of day, but there’s no point in staying in this town any longer.”

Tressa didn’t look at him- she was fiddling with her necklace again. She looked upset, more than likely because she was still stuck with him, but there wasn’t anything he could really do about that. Therion wasn’t going to let her go home anytime soon, and they needed to keep moving forward to avoid getting caught. The idol had caused him enough trouble for the day, and she was surely only going to cause him more. It was to be expected from a spoiled brat like her.

“You know, it’s a shame you’re so childish. You have such a pretty face,” Therion commented as he watched the girl play with the gem on her necklace. He had only said it in an attempt to get her to stop moping around, but there had been an air of truth to it. The idol was rather pretty, something Therion had noted when he first saw her, but it didn’t change the fact she was a pain to deal with.

The idol started pouting and glaring at him again; it was something she had learned to do well. It seemed Therion’s little comment had done the trick, however, since she no longer looked upset- just annoyed instead. Tressa placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out in an attempt to look intimidating, though her small stature made that difficult. Therion rolled his eye again and squeezed her hand tightly.

“Come on, let’s get moving,” Therion said before leading Tressa towards the town’s western exit. She was being resistant and trying to anchor herself to one spot, and it felt like Therion was having to drag her most of the way. He could feel the eyes of other travelers on them as they moved.

Ignoring the travelers, Therion flipped the hood on his cloak up and took a bite out of the plum he had grabbed. A strange, hooded figure entering a town with a silent girl would have caused suspicion when they first arrived, but now that he had established they were both regular travelers, putting it up came off as normal. The fact they were heading towards the desert also helped, as he needed a way to protect himself from the sun. Tressa would be well enough off with her hat and own cloak, so he felt he had no reason to worry. He had also made sure to purchase enough water for the trip as well.

After dragging Tressa along, Therion finally managed to get her to the outskirts of town. Though it was still far in the distance, he could see where the Highlands and Sunlands met down below. Tiny specks that he assumed were desert merchants and travelers were moving around, but for Therion, they were the least of his concerns. He knew what other dangers beyond heat and a lack of water existed in the desert; there was always the risk of running into monsters. Letting go of Tressa’s hand and reaching into his cloak, he took out the ornate dagger he had stolen earlier and held it out to her.

“This is for you,” he told the idol, who looked at him as if he were crazy. Therion knew the risks of giving Tressa a weapon, but he figured she wasn’t strong or experienced enough to cause him any harm. He only wanted to make sure she had a way to defend herself if they were attacked. He wasn’t going to leave the poor girl defenseless in such a hostile place like the desert.

The idol hesitantly took the dagger and held it close. She was looking at Therion with wary eyes, unsure what to make of his actions. As a precaution, Therion took out the aged dagger he had brought with him and flipped it in his hand. It was sheathed, so there was no real risk of hurting himself; the stunt was only to make Tressa aware he had his eye on her. Though he had willingly given her the dagger, that didn’t mean he had to trust her with it, and even if she couldn’t really hurt him, it would still be annoying if she tried to stab him.

“The desert isn’t the safest place, and a little girl like you shouldn’t be wandering through it without some sort of protection,” Therion informed the girl. “I figured a darling little Divine Chosen like you would want something pretty.”

Tressa pouted and gripped the dagger tight. “You’re a real jerk, you know!” she suddenly shouted, her silence finally having worn off. Her eyes went wide as she realized she could speak again, and then her expression changed to one of frustration. “Don’t you even dare think about trying to silence me again! I’ll… I’ll cut your tongue out if you even think about it!”

Therion groaned. “Honestly, my point still stands. You have such a pretty face, but your childishness just ruins it,” he complained as he waved a hand at her. “I think I  _prefer_  you silenced.”

Tressa stomped her foot and waved the sheathed dagger she had received in his face. “If I’m such a child, then why did you give me this?” she asked in annoyance. Therion placed his own dagger on top of hers and pushed it down.

“Because children are the easiest target for desert creatures,” he told her bluntly. “If something happened and I couldn’t protect you, then your goddess can say goodbye to her precious little chosen idol. You’d be nothing more than bloody scraps between a monster’s teeth.”

Therion watched as Tressa’s face went pale. Her attitude having quickly changed, she brought the dagger back to her chest and mumbled something to herself. She was visibly shaken, but Therion had to teach her the reality of the situation one way or another. The girl wasn’t a doll locked in a glass cage anymore, and the only person who could protect her beyond him was herself. It was a harsh truth, but it was how the world worked.

“We need to go before it gets too late,” Therion said as he put his dagger away and held out his hand to Tressa. He took another bite out of his plum and watched as she looked at him. She was hesitant.

“...why are you doing this?” the idol asked him. “Why do you want to take me with you across Orsterra?  You don’t want wealth, you don’t want me as some part of a collection… What was the point of taking me from my home? The point of trying to scare me like this?”

The thief looked at her with a fierce gaze. “Why would Aeber’s Divine Chosen go after Bifelgan’s?” he asked in response. “It seems rather obvious if you ask me.”

Tressa was staring at him. “No, it isn’t!” she responded loudly. “You said yourself last night that people like me don’t hear the stories about Aeber! I  _don’t_  know what you know!”

Therion shrugged. “Then you either willingly come with me and find out what I know, or you can go run off and try to get those villagers to listen to you. You already know what I’m capable of, so it’ll really be a waste of time. You can still try if you’d like, but I won’t be giving you any answers that way,” he told her. He  _did_  have his reasons for taking her, one related to the gods who had marked them, but she didn’t need to know what they were. Not yet, anyway.

“And you still haven’t explained to me what you did to escape from my guards!” Tressa added on, seemingly ignoring the options he had given her. “All you’ve done so far is give me more questions than answers!”

There was the hint of the slightest start of a breeze, but after a few small gusts it stopped. Therion continued to stand with his hand extended out to Tressa, who looked back at him with a sense of fear. It was far different from the glares she had been giving him during the morning.

“I’ve given you your choice,” Therion told her. “Either you willingly come with me to get answers, or you try to run.” He knew that if he continued dragging her around and keeping her close like he had been, it would eventually cause somebody to be suspicious. It was in his best interest to get her to come with him out of her own free will at this point.

Tressa took a sharp breath and looked at him with a fiery gaze of her own. “At least tell me this, Aeber,” she began. “If I go with you… You won’t hurt me, right? I’ll get wherever you’re taking me safely?”

Therion’s gaze became deadpan. “So far, the only person who’s tried to hurt anybody is you,” he bluntly told her as he recalled not only being kicked in the leg, but also being slapped the evening before. Tressa huffed in annoyance and stuck her nose in the air.

“Honestly! You are the worst!” she yelled as she crossed her arms. “Those people in the tavern were right about you  _and_  Aeber! You guys are horrible!”

Before Therion could respond, Tressa yelped in surprise as she was suddenly pushed towards him. Therion hadn’t touched her, and nobody else was in the area, but somehow she had managed to stumble straight towards him. The thief caught her before she could lose her balance and fall, and took a moment to straighten her back up. Tressa began frantically looking around as soon as she recovered.

“What just happened!?” she asked with a slight hint of panic. Therion wasn’t quite sure what had happened either, but he was starting to get an inkling that it was related to what happened at the tavern. The woman had spoken ill of Aeber while they were there, and now Tressa had done the same…

Ah, of course. It seemed the two of them had been joined by an unseen visitor. One who didn’t like being spoken ill of by those who could not see him.

Feeling smug, Therion chuckled and took another bite of his plum. “You should really watch what you say, you know. You never know who could be listening,” he said after swallowing. Though Tressa had still yet to make her decision about whether or not she’d go with Therion, the thief felt that he had been presented with the perfect opportunity. Turning towards the path that led to the Sunlands, Therion began walking down it without another word.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tressa continued to ask as Therion kept walking away. Raising his free hand, he gestured for Tressa to follow him.

“Hurry up, we don’t have all day,” he said as he continued walking. Tressa wasn’t following him yet, but he walked farther along the path anyway. Finally, after a minute of silence, both the sounds of running and Tressa’s voice could be heard behind him.

“Aeber! Aeber get back here, you jerk! You better start giving me some answers once we get to Sunshade!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy this chapter was a bit of a doozy to get done. Poor Tressa got to be silenced for most of it, so everything about her got to be described in gestures (which isn't my strong point but I tried anyway). That meant lots of glaring and other actions to tell Therion he was being a jerk without actually being able to say he was a jerk. I think she got through to him in the end though after pushing him around a bit :3
> 
> And of course, Therion has now successfully gotten Tressa to travel with him, at least for a bit! She's not happy about it, but it's not her fault he's being so vague and cryptic and that she wants answers! ....that's entirely my fault. Ssssh I can't just give away all the secrets and info in the first few chapters, can I?
> 
> Now to wait and see what joys await the pair of travelers in the town of Sunshade! There's definitely a lot planned :D
> 
> ...also I'm like half awake while writing this note, so I have no idea if anything I'm saying is making sense |D


	4. A Child's Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having willingly gone with the thief Aeber through the desert and to the city of Sunshade, Tressa has hopes that she'll finally start to gain the answers she's seeking. The answers she does obtain, however, do not come from the Prince of Thieves himself, but others who have pledged their loyalty to him.

Tressa learned rather quickly that she  _hated_  the desert. It was hot, miserable, and filled with horrible creatures that hid in the sand. Though Aeber had warned her of the dangers and given her a way to defend herself, it still hadn’t fully prepared her for the journey. Her feet hurt, she was sweating, and she had various cuts and bruises caused by pesky monsters that wouldn’t leave them alone. It was one of the worst things she had ever experienced. **  
**

Despite how miserable she felt, however, Tressa forced herself to keep moving. During the brief time she had spent traveling with the Prince of Thieves, she had learned he had a habit of being vague and secretive. He didn’t like explaining himself, and any time Tressa tried to learn something about him, he only made things more confusing. It was frustrating, and even worse, he had managed to use her own curiosities against her in order to get her to stay with him. As long as the idol traveled willingly with him, he would start giving her the answers she seeked.

That was why Tressa had agreed to go with him into the desert. He was taking her to the bustling town of Sunshade, where they’d be staying for a day or two before moving on to another town. The journey from the town of Cobbleston- or what Tressa assumed was Cobbleston based on a sign they passed- was long, and the two had already spent a night tucked away in an alcove that had formed in the rocks. Tressa managed to sleep well enough in the sand thanks to her cloak, but Aeber didn’t appear to sleep a wink. Just as had occurred the previous night, the thief stayed awake later than she, yet still woke before her.

That night had passed in silence, and the idol did not dream. Though Aeber let her take the time to eat in the morning, they were once again on the move as soon as she finished. He did not want to waste any time in reaching their destination, and unfortunately for Tressa, that meant there was no time for breaks. It had been hours since they left the alcove, and she didn’t see of sign of the town anywhere. She was starting to feel exhausted from all the traveling.

“How much longer until we get there?” Tressa asked as she trudged along. Aeber was walking slightly ahead of her, and unlike her, didn’t show a hint of fatigue. She assumed it was because he was used to traveling long distances.

“It’s not that much farther. About another hour or so and we should see signs,” Aeber assured her as they continued walking. Tressa was growing weary, and her steps were starting to become slow. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep going.

“I think… I need a break,” Tressa said as she came to stop. It was becoming harder for her to breathe, and she still felt sweaty and gross. She really needed to sit down.

Aeber looked back at her. “We can’t stop now. It’s too dangerous,” he warned her. “I understand you’re tired, but we don’t have the cover of an alcove out here. We’re an open target, and those monsters are surely waiting for a moment to strike.”

“But we’ve been walking for hours!” Tressa managed to complain through harsh breaths. “I just want to stop for a few minutes and rest!”

The thief crossed his arms. “The sooner we get there, the sooner you can take a break,” he pointed out to her; he sounded mad. Tressa took a deep breath.

“I’m not used to walking long distances like you,” she reminded him. “You can’t keep making me go on like this! There has to be something we can do so I can take a break!”

Aeber snorted. “What, like have me carry you the rest of the way?” he asked mockingly. “You’re better off walking. It’ll build up your stamina and endurance, which you obviously need.”

_Carry her the rest of the way…?_

Despite Aeber’s mocking nature, Tressa grinned. “That’s a great idea! You, the Prince of Thieves, can carry me, the Lady Bifelgan, to our next destination!” she declared proudly albeit being exhausted. She knew he hadn’t been serious about carrying her, but he had still proposed the idea nonetheless. Though she wasn’t the most fond of having her feet off the ground, it was the perfect way for them to move forward while allowing her a moment to breathe! Aeber, however, was already glaring at her.

“I am not carrying you,” he bluntly told her while placing a hand on his hip. “Might I remind you that I’m your captor and not some handmaiden of yours that’s devoted their life to serving you?”

Tressa puffed out her chest. “I don’t care  _who_  you are; I’m not moving from this spot until I’m allowed to rest!” Just because she had agreed to go along with Aeber, it didn’t mean she was going to let him hold power over her. If he thought he could force her to keep moving until she collapsed, then he had another thing coming!

Aeber went silent. He stared at Tressa for a minute, and she stared back with her chest still puffed out. She  _knew_  the dangers of getting on his nerves- he had displayed his abilities as a Divine Chosen well enough the other evening- but she also knew he wasn’t going to try and hurt her. He had promised her that earlier, well, more of he had alluded to it slightly when she asked. Either way, it had made her feel a bit more confident in standing up for herself.

Eventually, Aeber broke the silence with a sigh. “...fine,” he said as he shook his head. “I’ll carry you on my back until we get to Sunshade.”

Tressa beamed triumphantly. It had actually worked! Even if Aeber  _had_  been the one to take her from her home, it didn’t mean she couldn’t gain the upper hand! It also helped that he  _wanted_  to keep her around for a reason, and even if she didn’t know what that reason was, she could still use it to her own advantage. He wouldn’t want to lose her cooperativeness, especially after she had willingly agreed to go with him!

“Let’s go then! You’re the one who said we’re an open target if we just stand here!” Tressa cheered before grinning again. She was feeling a bit smug, which she knew would annoy Aeber. He was always acting so smug himself.

Once Tressa was comfortably on Aeber’s back and had her arms wrapped around him for extra support, the two continued moving forward. Though Aeber wasn’t happy having to give her a piggyback ride, Tressa could tell he was still trying his best not to drop her. They both knew that if he did it would only delay them further.

“Don’t get used to this. I’m not carrying you again,” Aeber grumbled as he walked. Tressa poked him with her foot in annoyance.

“I’m not getting used to anything!” she complained in response. Though she was willing traveling with him for now, she still had faith that she would be back home soon. Surely by now word of her kidnapping was starting to spread. She wouldn’t be stuck with Aeber much longer.

As the two moved towards Sunshade, things began to feel slow. Tressa didn’t know if it was because she was weighing Aeber down or if it was because she was bored, but it felt like the sun and shadows were frozen in place. The heat was still unbearable, and with her cloak and hat Tressa felt even worse. Aeber had said it was to protect her from getting burned by the sun, but the beating rays overheated her. Whenever they arrived, Tressa needed a cold bath.

..but she also needed a good way to pass the time until then.

“You know… You still owe me an explanation to how you managed to slip away from my guard with me in tow,” the idol prodded. She had asked the thief about his escape about a dozen times already, with him never giving her any semblance of an answer. It, along with his reasons for taking her, were still shrouded in mystery.

The thief grunted. “You really think I’m going to tell you that right now?” Tressa could feel him loosen his grip on her, so she tightened her own on him to keep herself from slipping. She was growing frustrated with him again.

“You promised that you’d give me answers if I willingly went with you!” she reminded him. “And here I am! Willingly letting you carry me through the desert despite the fact you kidnapped me and refuse to let me go back home!”

The thief went silent again. Tressa couldn’t be certain to as of why, but she hoped it was because she had proven a point. If things worked in her favor, the next thing she would hear from him was an explanation. He continued to move forward, his grip tightening back up. His pace was quickening.

“...the shadows,” the thief spoke up. “I used the shadows to escape.”

Tressa blinked. “The shadows? What is that supposed to mean?”  _Of course_  he was going to give a confusing answer! That’s all he ever did!

Aeber broke into a run. “You’ll learn in time, oh Lady Bifelgan,” he said as Tressa held on to him tightly. Though she wasn’t satisfied with the answer, it was more than anything else he had given her. It was annoying, but it was the best she would get for now. Perhaps she could ask him even more questions about it later.

Aeber ran until the first signs of the town came into view. It was mid-afternoon when they arrived, and while the sun was no longer directly overhead, it was still high in the sky. The heat continued to be unbearable as a result, and Tressa could no longer focus her thoughts on anything other than how exhausted she was. Even with Aeber carrying her, the heat was still a force to be dealt with. She was amazed that the thief didn’t even seem the least bit tired despite having ran for so long.

“We’re here,” Aeber stated as he loosened his hold on Tressa. Her feet were well rested despite her overall exhaustion, and she could stand on her own without a problem. Her only wish had been that the thief had been gentler when placing her on the ground.

After taking a moment to compose herself, the idol looked around. “Is something going on?” she asked as she took notice of decorations strung up along the town’s entrance. There were banners and strings of lights hanging from the sides of lamps and buildings, and flowers were placed anywhere they could manage to fit. It seemed the townspeople were getting ready for some big event.

“There’s a five day long festival held here every year,” Aeber explained. “It starts in two weeks, so the entire town is preparing for it.”

Tressa’s interest piqued. “A festival? What kind of festival would they want to celebrate here?” The area was so hot that she couldn’t understand the appeal of being outside all day for festivities, especially for five days in a row.

Aeber pointed to a man sitting on the stairs leading into town. “There’s no reason for me to keep explaining everything to you. That man should do well enough in giving you your answer.”

_That’s funny… Aeber explaining things? When did that ever happen?_

Tressa looked at the man Aeber was referring to. The man was holding what looked to be an instrument of some sort and was playing for a small crowd of people for coin. The idol assumed he must have been a bard based on his appearance.

The bard cleared his throat and strummed a note. Tressa moved closer to listen.

 _“A tale as old as time we know,_  
_For those who made the land!_  
 _Gods all powerful and strong,_  
 _To mark us with their brand!”_  

The crowd was humming along to the music. It was a song Tressa had never heard before, but the people around her knew it well. As the bard continued, a few of the townsfolk began to sing alongside him.

 _“Aelfric shines her light above,_  
_And her Voice spreads her flame!_  
 _Alephan knows the truth,_  
 _And his Scholar seeks no fame!_  
  
_Bifelgan brings the winds to us,_  
 _Her Idol young and sweet!_  
 _Brand protects those in need,_  
 _His Warrior you cannot defeat!_  
  
_Sealticge’s ever graceful Dancer,_  
 _She wants all to see!_  
 _Dohter grants a Miracle,_  
 _And now they shall heal thee!_  
  
_A theft done at Aeber’s hand,_  
 _His Legacy will rise!_  
 _The laws of Draefendi’s world,_  
 _Are just in her Companion’s eyes!_  
  
_Winnehild presents her Guard,_  
 _And a war they shall begin!_  
 _Balogar crowns his Lord,_  
 _And a treasure they shall win!_  
  
_Steorra will bring us the stars,_  
 _And her Seeker will guide us true!_  
 _Dreisang shall cast a spell,_  
 _And his Sorcerer’s life he will renew!”_

The crowd was loud and joyous, and Tressa was in awe of the song they sang. She had never known such a song about the Divine Chosen existed! ...though it was odd nobody had ever sang it to her before. She would have thought at least one person would have performed it to her in exchange for wealth.

Then the crowd began to quiet down, with the only noise being a low hum and strums of the instrument. Now, only the bard dared to open his mouth. Something about it made Tressa feel uneasy.

_“But one marked stays in shadows,  
With no legends for us to speak._

_Galdera’s Whim will one day show,  
And the marked will be complete.”_

There was silence…

...and then the small crowd began to clap. A few of the crowd members took out spare leaves to hand to the bard, and he collected them happily. Aeber, meanwhile, moved back to Tressa’s side.

“The festival is to celebrate and tell stories of Orsterra’s gods,” the thief informed her. “It was originally held as a way to worship Sealticge, since this  _is_  her domain, but it’s expanded as the centuries passed.”

“I think… I think I remember hearing Leon saying something about it once,” Tressa mentioned. It was small, and something he said very long ago, but the idol remembered it well. He had told her when she was older, he’d take her to a place filled with dancing and music. A place where she could hear about Bifelgan from the viewpoint of somebody who didn’t worship her.

Of course, that had never happened. Though her parents were open to the idea, the Priest of Bifelgan was another story. He said it was too risky for Tressa to travel that far away from Bifelgan’s Domain, even with Leon at her side. They couldn’t be certain of what dangers they’d face if word got out she was Bifelgan’s chosen.

“We won’t be here long enough to see the festivities begin,” Aeber said before gesturing towards a path leading deeper into town. “Now let’s go before somebody notices us. The house we’re staying in is down this way.”

Tressa begrudgingly followed Aeber as he led her into town and through busy streets. The path was more straightforward than those in Cobbleston, but groups of townsfolk preparing for the upcoming festival crowded the streets. It was near impossible to maneuver around them.

“Sorry. Excuse me,” Aeber mumbled each time they brushed up against someone. Even though Tressa kept close, it only made moving more difficult.

“Oh, pardon me!” Tressa squeaked out as her arm managed to bump against a woman placing a bouquet of roses. The woman turned around, decorative glass wind chimes jingling melodically as she brushed passed them. She was smiling gently at the younger girl.

“You’re alright, dear,” the woman told her. For some reason, Tressa felt a sense of comfort looking at her. She was definitely somebody Tressa didn’t know, but something about her…

“Have… Have we met before?” Tressa asked as she looked up at the woman. Her brown hair had been pulled up into a messy ponytail, and her outfit looked to be made of some really expensive materials. Even her jewelry was adorned with what appeared to be rare and valuable gems.

The woman laughed. “Perhaps so, dear. After all-”

“Lady Primrose! I’ve learned some terrible news from the Coastlands!”

Tressa was pulled away by Aeber as a well-dressed man approached the woman she had bumped into. He was breathing heavily and trying to catch his breath. It seemed he had something important to say.

“You see, I was wondering if there’s been any interesting news as of late, and so I asked myself-”

The rest of the man’s words were drowned out by the crowd. Tressa lost sight of the two soon after, but she managed to catch a glance of the woman gasping before they disappeared.  _News from the Coastlands though…_  Were they talking about her kidnapping?

The idol didn’t have a chance to try and call back to them. Aeber was leading her down the streets again, and his pace had picked up despite the crowd. She wanted to know what the two strangers had talked about, but chances were she wouldn’t be seeing them again. Aeber was probably going to keep her locked up during the night, and he definitely wouldn’t let her wander on her own during the day. He didn’t like losing sight of her.

When the two reached a rundown home on a less busy path, Aeber finally came to a halt. They were in the poorer part of town, and many of the houses in view were in disrepair. Kids in rags played with sticks and chewed up dolls, and mothers stood talking to each other in dusty, messily stitched clothes. It was the exact opposite of what Tressa was used to seeing. She wasn’t sure what to think of it.

“This is where we’re staying for the night,” Aeber informed her as he walked up to the door. Tressa, meanwhile, stayed behind and looked at the home. It wasn’t in the worst shape, but definitely not the best. It was still standing thanks to well-placed wood and brick, but parts such as windows were severely damaged. It didn’t seem like a good- or safe- place to sleep in.

“Here? Why here? Why not the inn? Doesn’t this town have one?” Tressa asked. If this town held a yearly festival, it surely had much nicer places to stay! A place like this was… Unsettling.

“I’ll explain inside,” Aeber said as he went to open the door. Before he could, however, the door was opened from the inside. Standing in the entranceway, there were two men who were grinning at Tressa and Aeber.

“Prince Aeber, you’re back!” the taller of the men stated. Immediately, Aeber placed his hand over the man’s mouth and shushed him. The thief eyed the mothers nearby.

“Be quiet! We’re still in the public eye!” Aeber hissed once it was safe. “I don’t need you two blowing this safe house’s cover!”

A safe house? Tressa wondered what that meant, but she honestly doubted Aeber would keep his word and explain things to her. She was getting sick of being in the dark.

“Is that her, sir?” the shorter man asked as he pointed to Tressa. Tressa felt herself tense up a bit, and she hesitantly moved forward. She could start to see the shadows of more people behind the two men as she got closer.

“This…” Aeber began before placing his arm around Tressa’s shoulder, “is the Living Goddess of Rippletide, the Lady Bifelgan.”

To Tressa’s surprise, there were gasps and chattering from the people behind the men. They seemed excited to see her, and Tressa felt slightly overwhelmed. It had been a long time since she had last been around a group of strangers as large as this.

“Come on in, Sir! We’ve prepared everything for you just like you asked!” the taller man said. Both of the men moved away from the doorway afterwards, and Aeber led Tressa inside. She was greeted with a sight she hadn’t been expecting.

Despite the home’s outward appearance, the inside was well kept. It was clean and nothing looked to be in disrepair, and it seemed those who lived here took good care of it. It wasn’t as grand as Tressa’s home, but it beat the dark cave and sandy alcove she had stayed in the previous nights. It almost gave her a sense of security, were it not for the large amount of people around her.

“This is one of the many safe houses across Orsterra that have been created for the use of thieves,” Aeber began explaining. “If the area I’m in has one, I prefer staying there over an inn.”

Tressa looked at the others in the room. They were all different from each other, and she couldn’t be sure where any of them had originated from. “Does this mean all of you…” she trailed off. A young thief with her hair wrapped in a shawl spoke up.

“We’re all thieves loyal to Prince Aeber!” she revealed. Tressa noted the girl looked even younger than she was, but only by a year or two. She was shocked to see a thief so young.

Another, much older thief spoke up. “Though any thief is welcome, it’s mostly those who follow the prince who stay here,” he explained. “It’s rare for a thief who has chosen to go against Aeber to be in our presence.”

“Plenty of them exist,” Aeber mentioned while casually gesturing around. “I’m sure they just know better than to cross paths with me.”

Tressa stood in silence as the thieves around her continued to chatter. She had been uncomfortable enough with one thief, but now she was surrounded by them. None of them looked dangerous, in fact they all looked rather nice, but…

For as long as Tressa could remember, she had been told that thieves were to be looked down upon, to be scorned. Though the ones she had met previously had frightened her, those who stood before her now looked to be normal townsfolk. Some of them were a bit rough around the edges, but they blended in nonetheless. Perhaps that’s what they wanted though. It wouldn’t help a thief to stand out.

“You, take the Lady Bifelgan to bathe,” Aeber suddenly ordered as he pointed to the young female thief. “I’m sure she’d like to wash off all the sweat and sand she accumulated on our little walk through the desert.”

The thief stood to attention. “Yes sir, Prince Aeber, sir!” she responded before walking over and placing her hand on Tressa’s shoulders. The thief pushed Tressa towards one of the halls, and the idol shuffled awkwardly as she was moved forward by the girl standing behind her. The thief was treating Tressa much rougher than how any of her handmaidens would.

“Um, I can walk on my own…” Tressa mentioned as she was moved forward. The thief behind her, however, only continued to push her. She looked to be smiling when Tressa looked over her shoulder.

“You don’t know the way to the bathroom though, Lady Bifelgan! So this is much easier for the both of us!” the thief cheerfully said in response. While the thief had a point, Tressa was still a bit uncomfortable. It was, however, better than her handmaidens trying to carry her to the bathroom back home.

When Tressa and the thief entered the bathroom, Tressa immediately noticed how bland it was. It had all the simple necessities- a toilet, sink, and bath- but none of them could compare to what was in her personal bathroom back home. The bath was much smaller, and the sink could barely be considered as such. The toilet, meanwhile… Well, the toilet was a toilet; it didn’t need to be fancy.

“The bath only has access to cold and lukewarm water due to the nature of the water source,” the thief told Tressa. “If you want anything hotter, we’d have to heat it up in a pot and dump it in by hand.”

Tressa looked at the bath and noted how cramped it looked. “...I guess I’ll go with cold,” she mentioned a moment later. After all the time she had spent in the heat, she didn’t think her body could handle anything other than a cold bath. Lukewarm  _did_  sound nice, but it would have to wait.

The thief smiled again. “Cold it is!” she said before going over to a cupboard and taking out some towels. “I’ll leave these here with you and give you some privacy. Once you’re done, just knock on the door and I’ll hand you some clothes to change into! Is that acceptable enough for you, Lady Bifelgan?”

Tressa shifted uncomfortably. “You really don’t have to call me that. In fact, I’d prefer you just call me Tressa,” she told the thief. If Aeber had originally been kind enough to refer to Tressa by her real name, maybe the thief before her would be the same way. Tressa would take any opportunity to rid herself of using her Goddess’ name.

To Tressa’s relief, the thief nodded. “Tressa it is then! And in return, you can call me Yuna if you’d like! It’s a false name, but the one most people know me by.”

Tressa tilted her head. “Um… Do all thieves use fake names?” she asked. She knew Aeber had plenty of his own on top of using his god’s name, so it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if other thieves were the same way.

Yuna shook her head. “Some do, and some don’t,” she began explaining. “For some, names have meanings, while for others they really don’t serve a purpose. My father abandoned me and my older sister when I was eleven, so I prefer not to use the name he and my mother gave me.”

The atmosphere began to feel heavy as Tressa gasped in surprise. “That’s horrible! How could your father do such a thing!?” The thought of a parent ridding themselves of their own child shook her to the core. Yuna, however, shrugged.

“He didn’t care enough about us to keep us around after our mother died,” she casually explained. “There’s a lot of thieves who get their start that way.”

_Lots of thieves, huh?_

Tressa was curious. “Even Aeber?” she asked without hesitating. Even though the Prince of Thieves was withholding information from  _her_ , it may have been different for his followers. They were loyal to him after all, and surely he must have told them something!

To Tressa’s dismay, Yuna frowned. “Actually, nobody knows Prince Aeber’s origins. He isn’t very open when it comes to his past,” she revealed. Tressa let out a short, agitated sigh.

“Of course he isn’t…” the idol grumbled. She was disappointed, but she felt she couldn’t be _that_  surprised. It seemed the Prince of Thieves kept secrets from everybody.

“Why don’t you take your bath now?” Yuna suggested as she placed the towels in her hands next to the bath. The thief was starting to look somber, but Tressa had a feeling that she shouldn’t pester to as of why. Instead, she silently nodded and waited to be left alone.

Once Yuna had escorted herself out, Tressa took a well deserved bathroom break before filling the bath almost to the brim. The water wasn’t as cold as she expected it to be, but it was still enough to cool her off. She could feel the sweat and dirt starting to lift away, and a good scrubbing with a washcloth Yuna had provided helped to rid Tressa of all the desert grime. Back home her handmaidens had always been insistent in letting them wash her, but here she was allowed to do things on her own. It was almost as refreshing as the cool water on her skin.

...yet it was also a weird feeling. Tressa had become so used to her handmaidens helping her that she had forgotten what it felt like doing things without them. Within the past few days she had walked on her own, gotten dressed on her own, and was now able to bathe herself without worry. They were all things she dreamed of being able to do, and even if it would only be for a short while, she was finally able to. It was a freedom she’d miss once she returned home.

When she felt clean, Tressa decided to change the bathwater. If she was going to relax, she didn’t want it to be in water containing sweat and dirt from more than a day’s travels. After figuring out how to empty the bath, she managed to fill it with lukewarm water. The cold water had been nice, but now she was ready for a real bath. It’d be good for all her aches and pains from walking too.

With the tub refilled, Tressa leaned back and let herself sit without worry. As she relaxed, she took notice to all the cuts and bruises she had received while fighting off monsters in the desert. Though Aeber had been the one to take care of most of them, Tressa had still managed to fight a few off. The dagger he had given her helped, but it didn’t make it any less terrifying when the creatures jumped out at them from the sand. Tressa shivered at the thought.

Her cuts and bruises weren’t terrible, but they were still a bit hard for the idol to look at. There was a particularly nasty cut on her leg she had received the day prior that Aeber had needed to patch up, but the medicinal herbs he had given her had mostly healed it by now. Then there were the large, purple blotches along her arms and stomach that almost mirrored the mark on her right side… She had gotten bruises before, but never anything like these. She wondered if any of her wounds would end up scarring.

Tressa stayed in the tub relaxing until her fingers felt pruney. Despite still being a bit sore, she managed to pull herself out and grab the towels off the floor while the bath drained. With one towel around her torso and another covering her hair, she proceeded to try and dry off. The heat that managed to creep in from outside definitely helped, though it made things a tiny bit humid. It reminded Tressa of the weather back home.

Once Tressa was adequately dry, she went over to the bathroom door and cracked it open. “Yuna?” she quietly asked. She could see the female thief standing nearby with a bundle of clothing in hand.

“All done?” Yuna asked in response. “I wasn’t able to figure out what size of clothing you wear, but hopefully the ones I grabbed fit you well enough.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. If Aeber can get my size right, I’m sure you can too,” Tressa assured Yuna before taking the clothes and closing the door to change. Though the undergarments fit well enough, the nightgown she was given was a bit too big. She felt like a child wearing an oversized sweater.

“Prince Aeber has gone back out for a bit,” Yuna informed Tressa as she left the bathroom. “He’ll be back soon, but until then you can stay in the room he’s using while I wash your clothes.”

“Oh, um, alright…” Tressa muttered. She had grabbed her pouch and dirty clothes off the floor before leaving the bathroom, and she promptly handed the dirty garments to the thief. The pouch, and the items she had hid within, however, stayed by Tressa’s side. She held the pouch tightly.

The idol was admittedly a bit nervous about being alone. She hated being around Aeber, but she at least knew she was somewhat safe around him… Well, as safe as she could be around a thief who had kidnapped her. Without him around, she was an open target for the others in the safe house. At least with Aeber present, the others wouldn’t try and cause her harm.

Yuna was smiling, seemingly oblivious to Tressa’s worries. “Just go down this hall and make a right. His room will be the last door on the left.”

Tressa gave a weak nod. “Thank you, Yuna… I appreciate the help.”

The two girls parted ways and Tressa made her way down the hall. She was feeling on edge now due to her nervousness, and her steps were quiet and slow. She was trying to avoid the possibility of catching anyone’s attention while she moved, despite the hall being visibly empty.

Within the halls of the safe house, Tressa felt out of place. She thought back to what she had been told growing up about looking down on thieves, and how they were dirty and disorganized, living in places that were dark and grim. That was continuously proving itself to be untrue the more Tressa looked around, though the safe house was still far different from the home Tressa grew up in. The halls in her home were filled with extravagant decorations and beautifully painted, while the walls of the safe house were bare and faint in color. It felt hollow and unsettling.

As she continued walking, Tressa could see shadows creeping across the walls. Lamps and the light shining in from windows illuminated the hallway, but the shadows felt they could overtake it at any moment. Outside, a strong wind blew and rattled the old windows. Things began to feel eerie, and Tressa’s heart filled with fear. She realized that this was her first time being truly alone in a very long time.

Tressa walked briskly down the hall. As she moved, the shadows around her appeared to grow taller. What was it that Aeber had said earlier? He had used the shadows to escape her guards? Was there something he knew about the shadows that she didn’t?

The idol’s heart was pounding. She wasn’t quite sure what was going on with her surroundings. The wind was becoming more violent, and it felt the world was about to be consumed by darkness. For a moment, she thought she could see a shape moving within it all, following her as she moved forward. Fearing what could happen, Tressa shut her eyes and-

“Hey! Watch where you’re going, you stupid bitch!”

Tressa stumbled backwards; she had unwillingly bumped into somebody when turning a corner. Looking up at the person, she began to feel meek. They were taller and broad-shouldered, with short hair mostly obscured by a bandana. Daggers were strapped along their belt, and a giant scar was visible on their chest. They must have been a veteran thief.

“I-I-I’m sorry… I.. I didn’t mean to bump into you…” Tressa stuttered out quietly. She was slowly backing up, not wanting to get in the thief’s way again. They had already showed a willingness to curse her out for bumping into them.

The thief sneered. “You’re that little girl that Prince Aeber brought with him, aren’t you?” They were towering over Tressa.

“U-um…” The idol couldn’t find the right words. The thief was  _right_ , but their way of wording it was harsh. It was obvious enough that they didn’t like her despite having never met.

The thief cocked their head. “What was it that old folk song says about you? That you’re supposed to be young and sweet?” they wondered. “How about oblivious and cruel?”

“What… What are you talking about?” Tressa managed to ask. She was starting to get scared. The thief huffed aggressively.

“Tell me, how many people have you unknowingly sent to their death?” they asked. Tressa looked at them in shock. She hadn’t expected a question like that.

“I… What? I don’t...” Her response was nothing more than random mutterings as she tried to get her head around the thief’s words. Sent to their deaths? What was that supposed to mean?

The thief shook their head. “I always knew Bifelgan’s Idol was nothing more than a rotten child. Can’t even bother answering my questions,” they grumbled. Though Tressa was frightened by their demeanor, she refused to be pushed around.

“Don’t… Don’t you dare speak to me like that!” she demanded. She was loud, but her voice was audibly shaken. She wasn’t doing a good job at hiding her fear.

The thief laughed mockingly. “I can speak to you however I want! There’s no guards here to protect you from the truth!”

“What truth!?” Tressa asked without thinking. She was getting frustrated with the thief and found herself glaring up at them. Her glare, however, was met with a piercing gaze as the thief glowered down at her. She froze.

“The truth…” the thief began. “The truth is that you’re a spoiled bitch who lives in a reality created to justify greed. You do not care for the poor or the less fortunate because you’re too busy living a life of luxury where the problems of the world can’t reach you. You leave people to die and carry on as if nothing ever happened, because you’re a worthless little girl!”

Tressa’s eyes widened. “You’re… You’re wrong!” she snapped back. She would never let a person who needed help die! She knew that there were people without money! She knew that people had struggles! That’s why they came to see her… Right?

The thief’s expression became twisted as they grabbed Tressa by the arm. “Honestly, I don’t see why Prince Aeber was so adamant about obtaining you. You bring nothing but pain to the world, and you’re surely bring nothing but ruin now that you’re in his hands.”

Tressa was still staring up at the thief, her eyes now filled with fear. She tried to ask the thief what they meant, why they thought she would bring ruin… But she couldn’t. She couldn’t even speak.

“Reed! Leave the poor girl alone!”

Tressa looked down the hall to see another thief walking towards them. It was one of the thieves that had briefly spoken earlier- the older gentleman who mentioned the purpose of the safe house. He looked displeased.

The thief, apparently known as Reed, let go of Tressa. “This isn’t any of your business, Matthew” they scoffed. The older thief crossed his arms.

“Last I checked, the Lady Bifelgan was a guest in this safe house, in which I run,” he told Reed. “If you are mistreating my guest, then it very much becomes my business.”

Reed stepped back. “You show too much compassion for those who corrupt this world,” they accused. “You are all disgraces to King Aeber’s name!”

The gentleman, Matthew, stood next to Tressa. “If you wish to continue spouting insults, then you are free to leave.” He was firm in his words, and the idol felt a feeling of security from him. “Those who cause trouble are not welcome here.”

“You… You will regret this!” Huffing angrily, Reed took off. Tressa watched as they stormed down the hall. Once they disappeared, Tressa turned towards Matthew. He was smiling gently at her.

“Please excuse Reed’s behavior,” Matthew asked of her. “She isn’t the most fond of Bifelgan or her followers.”

Tressa swallowed nervously. “I… I don’t understand what I did wrong,” she softly told the man. She  _had_  bumped into Reed, but Tressa didn’t think that warranted them going off on her as they did. It didn’t make sense.

Matthew sighed. “I guess I should explain, shouldn’t I?” he asked. His voice was low. “You met Yuna earlier, correct? Reed is her older sister. You see, the two were abandoned by their father after their family failed to obtain wealth.”

Tressa nodded knowingly; Yuna had briefly mentioned their father earlier. “...but what does that have to do with me?” the idol asked in response. She didn’t see why their father abandoning them was connected to her. It wasn’t her fault they hadn’t obtained wealth!

...was it?

Matthew frowned. “That scar on Reed’s chest… She received it from a member of your guard,” he revealed. Tressa tensed up.

“My guards only attack those who try to bring me harm! She must have done something wrong then!” she tried explaining. Matthew was giving her a somber look. Somehow, Tressa feared she was about to be proven wrong. The thief cleared his throat.

“It was about five years ago. Yuna and Reed’s father had lost most of the family’s money to a con artist, and their mother had fallen ill. Treatments were expensive, and they didn’t have enough coin to pay for them. At the time, they lived in Wispermill, but after hearing rumors of a young girl who could grant wealth, they took the risk to travel to Rippletide in hopes of seeing her,” Matthew revealed. Tressa’s blood ran cold.

“That… That was around the time when my guard was first formed,” she mentioned. She had been thirteen at the time, and a horrible breakdown had led to her being cut off from the outside world. Her guards had been hired to protect her from it, though things had been rough at first before ultimately working out.

“Even with the Living Goddess now guarded, it didn’t deter them from their journey. They still took the risk to travel down to Rippletide for the sake of saving their mother,” Matthew continued. Tressa was at a loss for how she had never heard about them before.

“Why did a guard attack Reed?”’ the idol asked. “I would have helped the family if I knew their story! They should have been let in!”

The air began to feel heavy as Matthew closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “...it was because they did not bring an offering for you. With no offering, your guard would not let them pass. Reed begged for her mother’s health that they be let in, but the guard at the door refused. From my understanding, the guard pushed Reed away, and she responded with threats. The guard drew their sword and attacked, but…”

Fuzzy memories returned to Tressa; words she hadn’t been supposed to hear. A guard was talking to Leon, and Tressa had placed her ear against the door. Somebody had died, and another person had been injured. There was the sound of clashing metal and sparks. Tressa ran when Leon started yelling.

“Reed and Yuna’s mother died protecting Reed from the guard who attacked her,” Matthew finished explaining. “Though Reed was only left with the wound that eventually became her scar, their mother took the brunt of the attack. The poor woman died in her daughter’s arms…”

“But... But none of what happened was my fault… I didn’t know what was going on outside of my home…” Tressa quietly told Matthew. It was that guard at the door who refused to let them in and attacked; they were the one who caused the tragedy! Tressa herself had nothing to do with the event!

Matthew opened his eyes and looked at the young idol. “I know this must be rather hard for you to hear about, so perhaps we should stop for now,” he suggested to her. “Perhaps it’ll soothe your heart to know that Yuna holds no grudge against you for what happened. She’s a sweet girl who blames only the guard who drew their blade.”

Tressa began frowning. “How do you know all of this? Did Yuna and Reed tell you? Do you think I’m to blame too?” She had tears in her eyes. Matthew shook his head and gave Tressa a sad look.

“My wife, Leila, was friends with Reed for a very long time. Leila learned of it almost immediately after it happened, and when I took them under my wing it was something I learned as well. I don’t think Reed is either right or wrong in this situation; she just views things differently than her sister,” the older thief told the young idol. It wasn’t the answer she had been hoping to hear.

“It’s… It’s not my fault…!” she tried to convince Matthew. “I didn’t do anything wrong!” She was fighting back the tears.

“...come now, Lady Bifelgan. It won’t do you any good to keep talking about this. Let me take you to Aeber’s room so you can rest,” Matthew offered as he held out his hand to Tressa. Shaken, Tressa hesitantly put her hand in his. It was warm.

As promised, Matthew led Tressa to Aeber’s room. It wasn’t far, but exactly where Yuna had said it would be. The door appeared to be charred slightly, and the nearby windows were covered to block the light. A few lamps were lit, but they weren’t very bright. The entire area was covered in shadow.

Opening the burnt door, Matthew revealed an even darker room. Though some light managed to make its way in through the doorway, it was still too dark to make anything out. Letting go of Tressa’s hand, Matthew made his way through the darkness and uncovered a window. Light shined in and drove away the darkness, and Tressa was greeted with a new sight. She could clearly see everything in the Prince’s room.

It was… Plain, with nothing that really caught her eye. White walls, one window, unlit lamps, and a bed- it didn’t seem like anybody really used it. It made sense, however, taking the room was only occasionally used, but she had hoped for something more. Nothing in the safe house could compare to her own home, but she had wished for something that reminded her of it. Perhaps then she would have felt some sense of comfort to stop her tears.

Matthew approached the teary-eyed Tressa. “You must be starving after your journey, Lady Bifelgan. I’ll have somebody prep a meal and bring it to you. As a guest in my safehouse, I will make sure you are treated with the utmost care.”

Tressa held her hands close to her chest. “Thank you, Mr. Matthew…” she responded softly. Despite Matthew’s kindness towards her, she was still shaken. Reed’s outburst had come out of nowhere, and even if Matthew had come to her aid, the bitter thief’s words had ran deep. She couldn’t help but wonder if there were more people like them.

“If you need anything, please let me know. Something came up, so Prince Aeber will not be back for quite some time, so you have this room to yourself until then,” the older thief informed the idol. Tressa nodded understandingly, though she wasn’t sure how she was going to busy herself until then. There was nothing for her to really do. She was a captive, after all.

“I will, thank you…” she managed to force out. The fact she was on the verge of crying made it difficult to speak, but she was trying her best. Matthew gave her a small smile before leaving the room and disappearing.

With Matthew gone, Tressa was once again alone. Sitting in the middle of the bed, she crossed her legs and wiped what tears were managing to fall. The wind had died down, and the sun was starting to slowly go down as well, though sunset was still a ways away. It was quiet, and the same hollowness from the halls filled the room. The only sound was Tressa’s own thoughts.

_“You’re a spoiled bitch who lives in a reality created to justify greed…”_

That was what Reed had said about her earlier, wasn’t it? That Tressa didn’t understand the truth of her situation? That she was the reason that Reed and Yuna’s mother had died?

“I didn’t do anything…” Tressa muttered to herself as more tears began to fall. “It’s not my fault! I didn’t ask for any of this! I never wanted anybody to get hurt!”

She was innocent- she had to be. She would never ask her guards to cause harm to those who sought her aid. Reed was making accusations over something Tressa had no control over!

...but what if Reed was right? What if Tressa was to blame?

Tressa’s body ached as she uncrossed her legs and curled up on the bed. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if Reed’s words managed to spread amongst the other thieves in the safe house. Would they blame Tressa just had Reed did? Would they treat her just the same? She couldn’t be certain of anything anymore.

The idol began to sob loudly in the empty room. Pain filled her heart as Reed’s words and Matthew’s explanation played over and over in her head. She remembered what Aeber had told her the other night, that she would never be an adult until she had seen horrible, horrible things. Was this “truth” Reed spoke of one of the horrible things that Tressa was supposed to see? Was this the reason Aeber had brought her here?

She didn’t know.

_She didn’t know!_

All this time, despite being kidnapped, despite Aeber refusing to let her go home… Tressa had never cried. She had stood up for herself, tried to free herself from the prince’s grasp, and refused to let Aeber have control over her. Now though, despite everything she had already done, this feeling of uncertainty that loomed inside her had brought her to tears. What was she to this world? A gift from the Goddess or a curse that sent people to their death?

Those who knew her would smile and call her the Living Goddess, those she had hurt would say the same things Reed had and treat her just as cruelly, and anyone else would call her a Divine Chosen.

_A Divine Chosen..._

“I NEVER ASKED TO BE BORN WITH THIS MARK! I NEVER ASKED TO BE A DIVINE CHOSEN!” Tressa screamed loudly. Her words echoed in the mostly empty room, and her sobs only grew louder. She was shaking.

She couldn’t deny it, no matter how hard she tried- she knew she hated the life she had been forced to live. Prince Aeber had seen it the day he had kidnapped her: the disinterest in the life that she was living, her desire to be treated only as herself. She should have been grateful to him for taking her away from such a horrible life, but he had only taken her from one cage and put her into another. She was a bird whose wings had been clipped before she could even fly.

Whatever reason Aeber had for taking her, it didn’t matter anymore. She was living her life in the roles that others had put her in. A beautiful goddess, a divine being, a bringer of death… He had surely wanted her to be one of those for him. She didn’t want to play the role he had chosen for her though; she wanted to find a way to free herself from everything that had been decided for her. She wanted to cast away the mark on her right arm and escape from a world that tied her down. She wanted to go against everything that people told her she was.

She wanted to be Tressa Colzione, a regular merchant girl...

.

..

…

_And so the Goddess Bifelgan wept through the night as the shadows tried to consume her..._

_The truth taking hold of the heart the prince had wanted for himself and all she had ever believed in..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S A LATE CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.
> 
> Seriously though, I think overall it took me almost two months to finish this chapter. There were a lot of details that I wanted to squeeze in, had to cut out entirely, or had to decide to put in a different chapter. This chapter was actually cut in half between this one and chapter 6, but it still turned out to be really long. There was a heck ton that I wanted to make sure got covered, however, so I put in as much as I could while still making it a reasonable size. Anything I didn't get to put in here will be in chapter 6, while hopefully I don't have to cut as well.
> 
> Why chapter 6 though? Because chapter 5 is going to a special chapter I call a "lore chapter"! They're completely optional reads that don't follow this direct story, but contain info that play important parts in their own way. While I do recommend reading them, I can also understand if people want to skip them based on how they're going to be set up! I have plans for them to be rather short chapters (4000-5000 words each), and they'll pop up occasionally here and there! I'd explain more, but eh, I want some stuff to be a surprise c:
> 
> ...I can't believe this chapter is finally done orz


	5. A God and Goddess's Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More than a thousand years ago, the gods chose to live within the mortal world. While the God Aeber chose to live as a thief, the Goddess Bifelgan chose to live as a merchant. Though their clashing livelihoods would make it difficult to interact on good terms, a fateful meeting between the two help begin the tale of a tragic love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter is a completely optional read referred to as a Lore Chapter. In these chapters, I dive into the past of this AU to explore the relationships of the Gods who are the namesake for the fics (so in this case, Aeber and Bifelgan). Though each chapter will better explain the events that lead up to the time the AU takes place in, if you'd rather only ready about the travelers and their relationships, there is no harm in passing on these chapters.

_Within the mortal plane, the Gods hid themselves from one another in order to live like the humans they created...  
_

_But divinity attracts divinity, and in time, they always found their way back to each other…_

Amongst humanity, Aeber existed amidst the lowest of the low. He was a petty thief, stealing from those who had more wealth than he, and was looked down upon by those around him. He traveled from domain to domain, stealing from merchants who carried more coin than they ever needed. He would charm them, ask to see their wares, before robbing them blind of all they had. There was naught a thief who could live up to his skill.

The money he stole, however, was never for himself. Every day he was on the mortal plane, Aeber would see the ruins caused by misfortune. Families who could barely survive, and travelers who had no choice but to move from place to place, begging all the way. They were the people he had pledged to protect, and they suffered in ways no human ever should. It was for them that Aeber stole gold. He took from the fortunate and gave to those who needed it the most.

The world called Aeber greedy, saying he took from the innocent. He disagreed, however, saying those he stole from were the reason greed existed in the first place. It did not matter if a man were a thief or merchant; they all had the ability to make others suffer. Though many a thief would steal to satisfy their greed, there were also merchants who would swindle and trick the people they sold to. Both parties took gold from those around them, and those below them continued to live in poverty.

It was a cycle that Aeber wished to stop.

There was a light rain in the Coastlands during one of Aeber’s many thefts. He had been tracking a caravan through the area, and they had finally stopped due to a broken wheel. Though the six merchants in the group looked innocent enough, they had in truth caused a great debt. They had conned a family in the Cliftlands, bleeding them dry of all the money they had. Hearing the family’s desperate plea in his shrine, Aeber took it into his hands to steal the money back from those who had wronged them.

The thief had spent months tracking the caravan’s movements, eventually catching up with them on the other side of the continent. His plan had originally been to quietly rob the group’s wagon when unattended, but the broken wheel had proven itself as a stroke of good luck. The merchants would be distracted until it was fixed, allowing him to slip in and out unseen. It would be an easy robbery.

Or so he had thought.

When night fell, Aeber decided to strike. The merchants were waiting for a new wheel to be picked up from a nearby port town, and they were busying themselves making a temporary shelter until then. Though their wagon served as good protection from the rain, it was overflowing with merchandise they had been trying to sell. There was no room for all six of them inside, leaving it unattended as they worked. It was an open target.

Leaving his own cover, Aeber snuck his way over to the wagon. It was easy enough, and he naturally blended in with the darkness. Though the merchants had lanterns to light their surroundings, the thief was far enough away not to be seen. He easily reached his target and climbed inside with a quiet grace. He was smirking.

The chains on his wrist clinked together quietly as the wind started to pick up behind him. A cold breeze made its way into the wagon, and Aeber began to shiver. It was a sign that a big storm was on its way, and Aeber needed to be careful with his time. It was probably wisest only to steal what gold he could find for now and return for the rest later. Perhaps even once the wheel was repaired, he could take the entire wagon out of their hands.

His eyes already adjusted to darkness, Aeber scanned the inside of the wagon. It was filled with dozens of wares raging from weapons to edibles, but Aeber was not interested in any of them. He was instead looking for any item that could be carrying gold, such as a purse or chest. Any good thief knew that merchants didn’t carry all of their gold on their person, and that plenty more was always stored away. Surely with such corrupt merchants, there had to be plenty of gold hiding.

After analyzing the general merchandise, Aeber noticed something suspicious. In a frontmost corner, there was a collection of wooden boxes and bags of rice that seemed out of place. Though they looked normal enough, there was nothing else placed around them. It was obvious to Aeber it was something the merchants wanted easy access to. Feeling confident, the thief began to make his way forward and-

There was a flash of light.

Aeber covered his eyes while the merchants began yelling outside. He had tripped some sort of magical trap, giving away his presence. Blinking a few times, Aeber stumbled backwards as he attempted to readjust to his surroundings. He was in a daze, and one he needed to snap out of fast. He could hear the clanging of weapons outside.

Feeling around, the thief tried to locate a weapon for himself. Though he carried a dagger with him at all times, he’d need something bigger for the number of merchants he faced. A lance, a staff, an axe… Anything would work. As the voices grew closer, he began to grow desperate.  _There had to be something he could use!_

Then he felt it.

His hand brushed up against the hilt of a sword. With a swift motion, Aeber grabbed the weapon and unsheathed it. It felt light in his hand, almost as if it were made specifically for him. Perhaps it was divine in origin, or maybe it was just a regular sword with no special qualities. No matter the origins, however, it was safe to assume it had been stolen like the rest of the items in the caravan.

Sword in hand, Aeber left the wagon. Jumping down from the back, he landed on his feet without making a sound. The merchants surrounded him, all with weapons pointed his way. A few carried lanterns, while another had summoned a ball of magic to illuminate their surroundings. It granted Aeber a closer view of their faces; they looked more like a gang of thieves than a group of merchants.

With another swift motion, Aeber raised the sword to those who opposed him. He was smirking again, and even if it was too dark to see, there was a shine of confidence in his eyes. He had faith in his ability to strike down those who wished to stop him.

“Let’s dance!”

The wind and rain picked up as Aeber and the merchants clashed. Though the merchants were more in number, Aeber proved to be faster. He dodged and blocked their attacks with ease, and when they grew close he’d muster what flames he could and pushed them back. The rain may have weakened the strength of his magic, but he was still a destructive force. Even amongst mortals, he had the skills of a divine being.

Thunder boomed as Aeber deflected all attacks sent at him. Ice magic frosted the area over, and dark magic tried to take a hold of him. The merchants were getting more aggressive, but Aeber was light on his feet. A swipe of a dagger, the thrusting of a spear, the swing of an axe… All deflected by his blade. Even if swords weren’t his specialty, it was not proving itself as a problem. The merchants were no better fighters than any common man.

There was a crackle in the air followed by a large crash. Wind blew harshly as a fire suddenly roared to life around them, spreading smoke and clouding their vision. Lightning had struck the area, called down by a scholar amongst the caravan. Aeber jumped back and slid along the wet ground, falling down to one knee when he came to a halt. Though the lightning hadn’t hit him directly, another merchant had grazed Aeber’s leg during the confusion; he was injured.

Swearing quietly, Aeber knew it was in his best interest to retreat. Even now, surrounded by smoke and flames, his own element, it would be foolish for him to continue on. Things were falling out of his favor, and he had not wanted to engage the group in the first place. His hopes had been to rob them quietly, but the magic trap had ruined that. He would need a different plan of action if he were to get the stolen money back.

Yet there was still something he could do.

Raising his free hand high, Aeber took control of the smoldering flames. The shackles on his wrists glistened, and the long chain connecting them jangled softly. The smoke began to clear, and the merchants came back into view. They turned to Aeber, who had the stolen sword placed in a defensive position. He was preparing for them to attack.

The merchants charged, just as Aeber hoped, and with a quick step, the thief ran passed them. There was a blur of red and silver, and suddenly the merchants felt their pockets grow lighter. Aeber stood triumphantly behind them and was now in possession of their pilfered coin purses. Despite the pain he was in, the thief had still robbed them blind. Before the merchants could react, smoke once again surrounded them, the rain extinguishing the flames fast.

“May we finish our dance another day!” Aeber shouted before turning to flee. Pain shot through his leg, but he knew he had to move through it. To live amongst mortals, he had temporarily relinquished some of his divine ability, which meant he could not turn to the shadows for cover. He had to run as any other thief would.

As Aeber ran through both the pain and heavy rain, shouts could be heard from behind him. A few of the merchants had chosen to chase after him, while the others stayed behind to continue protecting the stolen wares. They were not done with him yet, much to Aeber’s annoyance. Looking behind him, the thief could make out the distant silhouettes of four of the six merchants. Based on the continuous crashing of lightning around him, the scholar was amongst them.

As the chase continued, so did the lightning along with the occasional spot of hail. Aeber’s leg throbbed, and he knew his steps were starting to slow down. He would need to find safety soon or else he would be caught by mortals that held only greed in their heart. They would try to strike him down, invoking the true rage of a being from the divine plane. Aeber had vowed centuries ago not to kill in order to gain, but self-defense was another story. If he could help it, however, he would prefer to not bloody his hands.

_Steal from the corrupt, give to the misfortunate, and shed no blood…_

_That was Aeber’s Law._

What had started as a light rain had turned into a heavy storm as Aeber had sensed. The thief had managed to stay ahead of the merchants long enough to make it to the nearby port town, but he could still hear their shouts in the distance. Amongst the streets, however, there were plenty of places he could disappear to. Shadows crawled along the ground and buildings, and there were plenty of alcoves hidden from plain view. After going a bit deeper within town, the thief settled on hiding in a narrow alleyway that was barely visible.

Aeber sat amongst the shadows as footsteps ran passed. The merchants were still shouting, allowing Aeber to make out what they were saying. They were going to split up to search for him, and they had no plans on letting him get away. It was not the money he had pilfered that they cared for, however, but the sword he carried. It was apparently of incredible value, having been forged a couple centuries prior as an offering to a god.

The thief gripped the sword tight as the shouting began to die down. Though they had not noticed the entrance to the alleyway yet, it was dangerous for him to stay in one place. He was soaked to the bone, and his wound needed tending to. It hurt to move, and thief worried the wound was still bleeding. He needed to find safe shelter soon.

Aeber rose to his feet and went deeper into the alleyway. His movement was sluggish, his wet clothes and injury slowing him down, but he was determined to continue moving. He had no idea where the alleyway led- the port town being unfamiliar to him- but he had to carry on. Even if it did not lead to shelter, it may still have served as an opportunity to escape his pursuers. His chains drug along the wet ground as he moved.

Another shot of pain ran through Aeber’s leg, causing him to once again fall down on one knee. There was a burning sensation, and he was starting to believe there had been some sort of enchantment placed on the weapon that had hit him. Leaning against the wall, Aeber began breathing harshly. The shouts were growing louder again, and Aeber could hear footsteps. He held the sword in preparation of another attack.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the alleyway. A strange sensation fell over him, but it vanished as the wind died down. When the wind stopped, the shouting turned into muffled confusion, and the footsteps began to go the other way. Something had deterred the merchants, but Aeber could not tell what. It seemed a miracle had occurred.

“Can you stand on your own?”

Aeber looked up. Standing before him, umbrella in hand, was a beautiful young woman. Her hair was dark and her skin fair, but her eyes were greener than any emerald he had ever stolen. She was looking down at him, with a frown spread across her lips. She looked worried.

“Here, let me help you,” the woman said as she reached out her hand. Aeber eyed her attire as she did so- he had noticed something familiar- and pushed her hand away. A symbol on her clothing clearly marked her as another merchant.

“I do not require your assistance,” he said as he shifted away from her. His shackles and chain made a slight clunking noise as he moved. The merchant kneeled down and gently placed her hand on upon his wrist. Her worried look turned to one of sadness.

“You’re on the run, aren’t you?” she asked as she looked at the shackles. “That’s why those men were chasing you down the alleyway.”

“It is none of your concern,” he said as he went to move the merchant’s hand once more. He stopped, however, when she placed the other on top of his.

“You don’t see these on any free man, let alone two...” the merchant pointed out. “May I see them?”

Aeber was quiet. Hesitant, he put the blade down and let her see his other hand, his shackle clearly visible. One on each wrist, connected by a chain that was long enough not to impede his movements. He had learned to hide them well enough amongst the common man, but here… He hadn’t tried hiding them at all.

The shackles on his wrist… They were Fool’s Bangles: proof he had been arrested and tried as a thief. Most thieves who received them rotted in jail, but Aeber had escaped his confinement. The fact he had two, however, meant that some would say he truly had been a fool among mortals. Caught twice, tried twice, but escaped both times. Despite this, to him they were more of a trophy than a marker of his mistakes.

“A little girl like you shouldn’t be out at this hour, especially in this weather,” Aeber commented as he watched the merchant. He knew it was getting late into the night, and the storm made walking around dangerous.

As soon as Aeber finished talking, the merchant’s demeanor changed. Her eyes grew sharp, and her cheeks puffed out. She was not taking kindly to his comment.

“I could easily leave you for those men to find,” she threatened. “If you  _must_ know, I sensed something amiss and came out to investigate. That is how I came to find you, a lowly  _thief_ , hiding in the streets.”

 _She had sensed something was amiss?_ That sounded… Odd to Aeber. As far as he could tell, she wasn’t more than an ordinary merchant. He should have been grateful to her despite the oddity, however, as she had managed to deter those chasing him. Perhaps there was more to her than he realized.

“Those  _men_  you speak of are thieves in their own right,” Aeber informed the woman with a glare. “I may be a thief, but I only steal from those who steal first. Those merchants who chased me have taken  _every coin_  from a family and left them to rot in misfortune.”

The merchants expression softened. “A thief who steals from other thieves?” she asked. She mumbled something to herself afterwards, but Aeber was unable to make it out with the rain still pouring.

“We live in a world that separates the fortunate and the misfortunate. Those who find fortune blossom and grow, but those who find misfortune wither and die. I’ve taken it upon myself to steal from those who abuse their fortune and give to those who need it the most,” the thief explained. He did not want the merchant thinking he was as lowly as people thought.

The merchant fell silent. She was no longer looking at the thief, and instead lost in thought. The wind blew softly through the alley, yet the rain still pounded the ground around them. Aeber shivered and pulled his hands back under his cloak, though it brought him no warmth. He had no cover like the merchant, and had been out in the rain far longer than she. He was freezing.

“...let me take you to shelter,” the merchant said as she moved closer. “There is a tavern on the other side of town that will take you in.”

Aeber scoffed. “Why the sudden change of heart?” he asked. “Aren’t I just a lowly thief you found on the streets?”

The merchant smiled softly. “You are more noble than most men, Sir Thief. A true merchant is one who wishes to sell their customers exactly what they need, not one who fills their pockets due to their own greed. Even if you are thief, you are one who cares for the people, just like a true merchant would.” Her tone was gentle.

…the thief sighed. “If you wish to take me to shelter, then so be it.” Though he was still wary of the merchant, she did not seem to mean him any harm. His words had gotten through to her.

“Take my hand,” the merchant said as she stood back up. Still hesitant, Aeber grabbed his blade before reaching up and taking the young woman’s hand as requested. Despite her small stature, she was still easily able to help him up. His leg hurt as he moved.

The merchant led the thief out of the alleyway and back into the streets. They were both under her umbrella, though the storm was beginning to lighten. As they walked, Aeber looked around them. He was unable to take in his surroundings as he fled, but now he had nothing stopping him. From what he could see, the town must have been popular with merchants during good weather.

“You must be curious about Grandport, Sir Thief,” the merchant said as they walked. She must have noticed him looking around.

“...I am more curious to how such a young merchant like yourself finds herself here,” the thief mentioned. The amount of stalls he could see were proof enough that it was a gathering ground for merchants, but that meant that only the best, and probably most rotten, merchants were successful in their craft here. He doubted someone like her had such skill.

The merchant laughed lightly. “I am both a highly respected merchant and a noblewoman of Grandport, Sir Thief. It has always been my home, even before it became known amongst the people.”

The thief looked down at the merchant in disbelief. “A noblewoman? …then you truly are amongst the most fortunate of the world. It is a shock you would even considering helping a thief.”

The young woman shook her head. “You are right when you say the world is separated between the misfortunate and fortunate. Both merchants and thieves live amongst a cycle of wealth and greed, but the side one takes does not depend on the position. It depends on what is in their heart, and you, Sir Thief, have a good heart.”

There was something odd about hearing a merchant say such things about him. As long as Aeber could remember, he had been told he had a heart filled with greed. Merchants feared him and thieves idolized him as a god, though both looked a him for safety on their travels. Merchants tried to appease a greedy god in hopes he would leave them unharmed, while thieves hoped he’d bless them with successful thefts and endless wealth. It was how he had learned to identify the fortunate and misfortunate amongst mortals in the first place.

“You are too trustworthy,” Aeber warned the merchant. “Even if you say you see good in me, it all could easily be a lie. I am a thief after all.”

“Yet you have not attacked me,” the merchant pointed out. “Any truly lowly thief would have tried to strike me down as soon as I said I was a noble, yet you only continue to walk at my side.”

Aeber stopped in his tracks. “...it is because you have yet to prove yourself as greedy. At first signs of corruption, I would not hesitate to take all that you carry,” he warned. The merchant continued forward before turning back to look at him.

She was smiling brightly.

...and Aeber’s heart skipped a beat.

The strange sensation from earlier returned as fuzzy thoughts filled his head. Another gust of wind blew past them, and the merchant continued to smile. She felt… Powerful, almost divine like Aeber himself. She radiated beauty like no other woman the thief had seen, and despite the power he felt from her, she was gentle and kind. She was not as ordinary as Aeber first thought.

“It is in my nature to know who is greedy, and I know you are not, Sir Thief. You have told me of your ways and already proven yourself to me in actions,” the merchant told him. Ignoring the strange sensation, the thief began to smirk.

“For a little girl, you can carry yourself very well,” he teased before letting out a low chuckle. He could see the merchant’s demeanor change once again.

“I am no child!” she snapped back. “And if you wish to find shelter at the tavern, then I recommend not treating me as such!”

The thief chuckled again. “So be it, oh Noble Merchant.” For as well as the young woman carried herself, it was obvious to Aeber that she still had much to learn. She was closer to being a child in age than an adult.

The merchant turned back around and continued on her way. “I recommend you stop mocking me and continue following, Sir Thief. You are at risk of catching a cold if you continue to just stand there.”

Knowing the merchant was right, Aeber went to catch up to her. The pain is his leg was lessening, and it seemed whatever effect was placed upon him was coming to pass. Once the morning came, he’d easily be able to track the caravan back down and take the remainder of what they had stolen. The heavy coin purses Aeber had placed within his coat were nothing compared to what they were storing. Perhaps if he were lucky, they’d have other items as valuable as the stolen blade; other items fit for a god.

After a bit more walking, the merchant stopped in front of a small, brightly lit building. The storm had once again become a light rain, and the thief could hear the sounds of joyous chatting and drinking inside. He had a feeling it was surely filled with the merchants who sold their wares in the stalls he could see.

“Tell the barkeep that the Lady of Grandport has requested she shelter you,” the merchant told the thief. “She will not ask questions if she knows I am the one who sent you.”

“I’ve never heard of a tavern giving room service,” Aeber bluntly mentioned as he continued staring at the building. It was rather ornate for an establishment typically known for brawls and drunkards.

The merchant looked up at the thief again. “The owner of this establishment is one of my followers, along with his family. His daughter is the one who will be the one running the tap at this hour.”

_One of her followers…?_

Aeber met the merchant’s eyes, and the strange sensation strengthened. It was then that he started to realize who, or what, she really was. A merchant who placed herself amongst nobles and spoke of wealth and greed… A merchant who could see the greed within people’s hearts… A merchant who was followed by those around her…

“Bifelgan! What do you think you’re doing sneaking out at this hour!? And in this weather no less!”

Aeber and the merchant’s attention immediately turned down the road. A powerful looking man, blade in hand, was running towards them. Though his eyes were hidden underneath his helm, it was obvious he was angry.

“Ah, my brother seems to have found me…” the merchant mumbled before raising her voice. “I’ll be right there, Balogar!”

Having come to terms with the truth of his situation, Aeber tried to speak. “Please wait, I need to-“

“I’m sorry, Sir Thief, but I need to go,” Bifelgan interrupted before smiling. “This may be the last I see of you, but please do not let your heart change. I do not wish to become enemies with a man like you.”

The young woman ran off to meet her brother before anything more could be said. In her last moments before disappearing, however, she turned to wave goodbye to Aeber. Despite the darkness, he could still tell she was smiling…

_And so the God Aeber had found the Goddess Bifelgan on the mortal plane…_

_It was the beginning of a legend that would one day become a tragedy..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this, you either actually read the chapter or just skipped to see what this note said!
> 
> Adding lore chapters was something I've had in my head since I first began writing, but it wasn't something I was completely positive would go over well. I'm the type of person who likes to get deep with AU Lore and plan out every little detail, but because I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, I wanted to make them optional. There are some things that will be referenced in the main chapters, but I'm going to try my best to limit them to minor details.
> 
> But Aeber and Bifelgan... Unsurprisingly, they're rather similar to Therion and Tressa in personality (perhaps I'm just a lazy writer). Aeber is a bit more focused on helping people while Bifelgan is a bit more well mannered though, which I think serves as an interesting difference! This isn't important, but I actually have some designs of the two I've been working on and adjusting for quite some time now. They're on twitter if you want to check them out!
> 
> I really don't have much more to say about this chapter other than a) I wrote 70% of it on planes, b) the game doesn't give canon relationships to the gods so I made my own, and c) there's some small hints to things to be mentioned in Lore chapters for a different fic. I know there was one thing Aeber said that may have come off as a bit odd, but I promise you there is a reason for it ;)
> 
> Also, perhaps Aeber isn't as terrible as everyone thinks he is...


	6. A Prince's Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As word of Tressa's kidnapping begins to spread, Therion finds himself having a few questions about the situation at hand. Who was that man on the streets, and what had he been yelling about in such a panic? As the thief tries to get these answers, however, he realizes that not only does he have questions of his own, but he also owes Tressa answers as well.

_It was always said the Goddess Bifelgan had a fear of the shadows… **  
**_

_Yet it was not the shadows she feared, but the heartless creature who lived inside them..._

As Therion ran through the dark, vacant streets of Sunshade, he had come to realize two things. The first was that he had made a mistake. When he had gone out in the early afternoon to gather information, it was with the intent to locate a person of interest. His efforts proved fruitful, and after charming a few dancers on their break with his trademark fake smile, he learned exactly what his target had been up to. They had been renting a room in the town’s finest inn over the past few months, and the dancers had overheard said target mumbling about plans to go to the library later that evening. From the sounds of it, Therion’s target wanted to do some research on some particular rumors they had learned about.

Going off the info he was given, Therion was easily able to locate his target as the sun set. He followed them from a distance, making sure that no attention was brought to him. His hood was up, and he had wrapped his scarf around the lower half of his face. A strong wind had picked up, and sand was being blown along the streets, so such a display of fashion wouldn’t come off as being suspicious. When his target entered the library, Therion did not follow. He instead waited within an alleyway, where he would not be noticed.

If only Therion had known how long he would have been waiting there.

It was past midnight by the time the thief’s target finally left the library. They now carried a stack of books, and a few papers were clenched in their hand. Therion would have normally lost interest in a target that had taken so long to move, but this one had info that the thief considered valuable. Earlier in the day, they had come running towards a woman that Tressa had bumped into moments prior. As they approached, they had been frantically trying to say something.

_“Lady Primrose! I’ve learned some terrible news from the Coastlands!”_

Whoever this person was, they ran the risk of knowing about Tressa’s kidnapping. Therion couldn’t be certain of it, as he had personally not heard of any other incidents that had happened in the area, but  _something_ was amiss. The thief deemed such a possibility as being strange, however, as the day prior the news had yet to spread to the town of Cobbleston, which was significantly closer to the location of the crime. There  _was_ a chance that a caravan had passed Therion and Tressa by during their travels to Sunshade and spread the word of her kidnapping before they arrived, but nobody else on the streets spoke of the incident. Surely the Lady Bifelgan’s kidnapping would have been far more exciting to gossip about than the upcoming festival and Sealticge’s Dancer.

As nearby lamps illuminated the streets, Therion approached his target with quiet steps. They were male, and rather well dressed for somebody who had been staying in the area for the past six months. The thief assumed they were a scholar of some sort, as the manner of clothing fell in line with the profession. He wondered what the scholar was doing in the area, and why they were spending time with dancers no less. That was a question for another time, however, as Therion had more important things to attend to.

“So, care to share with the class what you’ve learned today?”

The scholar stumbled forward in shock, dropping books and papers in the process. Therion watched as the man frantically worked to pick the items up off the sandy ground, but as they grew closer to him, Therion put his foot on top of one of the papers they were reaching for. The thief was smirking.

“You can have this back once you’ve answered my question,” Therion said as he dragged the paper back with his foot. He could hear it tearing, but he didn’t think it diminished any of the value it had to the scholar. They had obviously taken it out of the library for a reason.

“I have no idea what you are talking about!” the scholar claimed as they stood back up. The books were now back in the scholar’s arms, and the scholar had a rather annoyed expression on their face. Reaching down, Therion picked up the paper he himself had been stepping on- they were messily written notes on Aeber’s attempted kidnapping of Bifelgan hundreds of years prior.

“Based on these notes you have here, I think you know  _exactly_ what I’m talking about,” the thief accused as he crumpled the notes in his hand. “You know something that you shouldn’t, don’t you?”

The scholar stepped forward. “Young man, you are making a very horrible decision by trying to confront me,” he warned the thief. Though his face was still covered, Therion looked the scholar in the eye. He wasn’t going to be intimidated so easily, especially by an ordinary man.

“And you’re making a horrible decision by not answering my question,” Therion retorted. The scholar was being stubborn, and Therion figured he’d need to be a bit more persuasive to get the answers he seeked. He reached for the dagger he had hidden amongst his cloak, but before the thief could draw it, the scholar’s eyes went wide.

“Wait…  _You_!” the scholar said in disbelief. “I know  _exactly_ who you are!”

Therion stepped back.  _Shit_! Had the scholar figured him out? Had they somehow come to realize that it was Aeber’s Legacy that stood before them? No, it didn’t make any sense that they’d know!

The scholar’s expression twisted into one of anger. “You’re the thief who stole the sacred heirlooms to be used in the festival! Of course, you’re trying to see what else you can pilfer off the group, aren’t you!?”

Therion blinked…  _Right, stealing those heirlooms._  That was something he had done. His face hadn’t been visible at the time, but he had been wearing the exact same travel gear as he was now. If anybody had seen him then, it would make sense that they recognized him here. The scholar must have been around when Therion had made his grand escape.

Furious, the scholar continued. “Well, young thief! You’re about to learn just exactly how big of a mistake you’ve made!” he yelled. Therion watched as the scholar dropped the books to the ground and waved their hand, and a moment later, a bolt of lightning appeared from above. The thief barely managed to dodge it before it struck where he stood.

That was when Therion realized he had in fact made not one, but two mistakes; the second being that he had been completely unprepared for the chase that would ensue.

Before the scholar could cast another spell, Therion ran towards the alleyway where he had been hiding minutes earlier. The scholar chased after him, shouting the entire way and sending shards of ice passed Therion as he ran. Making a quick turn, the thief managed to stop and conjure a few flames to try and fight back, but the scholar was able to block them with flames of their own. At this point, the only other way Therion had to defend himself was with his dagger, but he didn’t think it would do him any good- it wasn’t a smart idea to bring a knife to a magic fight. His only choice was to keep running.

...no, it wasn’t his only choice. He had one other way to escape, a way that had been gifted to him by Aeber, but now was not the time to use it. Therion had sensed Aeber’s presence in Cobbleston the day before, and if the god was still around, then using his abilities was the last thing Therion wanted to do. The thief would have to do this on his own as a way to prove himself. He didn’t want any divine assistance.

The scholar waved their hand once again. “Lightning, strike this thief down where he stands!” he shouted. Static filled the air, and another bolt of lightning came crashing down, once again barely missing Therion as his steps quickened. Thinking fast, Therion tilted his head back to look at the scholar.

“Is that all you can do!?” the thief taunted as he continued to flee. Though it would normally be a stupid idea to aggravate his opponent, he knew magic took concentration and that without it, spells could fail. His hopes were that the scholar would be so blinded by anger that they would lose focus, and Therion would be able to flee without problem.

Stopping in place, the scholar raised their hand towards the heavens. “Our lesson has only just begun, young sir!” they claimed as the static in the air crackled loudly. “Perhaps a small storm will open your eyes to what you should be learning!”

Suddenly, it began to to rain. There had been no signs of a storm coming at any point of the day, and it seemed it had been summoned at the Scholar’s command. Therion had no idea how they had managed to summon it, but a few ideas started running through his head. Perhaps he was dealing with somebody more powerful than he had first thought. For the thief, however, the rain had presented him the perfect opportunity to escape.

“Sorry, but class is dismissed!” Therion shouted as he once again summoned his own flames. With the rain, the flames he created could not burn, and instead became walls of smoke. A shroud of dark gray covered the area, and the lights around them began to dim. The two had lost sight of each other.

Without hesitating, Therion ran through the smoke and away from the scholar. The rain was still falling, but the lightning quickly came to a stop. The thief had failed to obtain the information he seeked, but this was a loss he had to accept. He had approached the scholar with nothing more than a small dagger and not taken the time to properly observe them. It was Therion’s own fault it had ended the way it did.

With fast, silent steps, Therion made his way to the poorer part of Sunshade, back to the safe house where he and Tressa were now staying. The only noise on the streets was the patter of the rain, and the occasional sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. With how late it was, there were not many people wandering around, but those he did pass paid no attention to him. They were all people who either had nowhere to go or worked at late night establishments- something Therion had no interest in. His only goal at the moment was to make it somewhere where the scholar could not find him.

Making it back to the safe house, Therion slammed the door shut. His breathing was heavy, and he rested against the wood as he caught his breath. The thief was used to running long distances, but this time he had done so in a panic. It had put more strain on his body than what it was used to, wearing him out. After a moment of resting, however, his breathing returned to normal.

“I’m back,” Therion muttered into the darkness of the room. He stood up straight, now feeling as if he had never been running in the first place. In front of him, a candle began to burn, illuminating the face of another thief. Therion had never bothered to learn their name, but he knew this thief was the one who ran the safe house.

“Welcome back, Prince Aeber,” the thief greeted. “We’ve patiently been waiting your return.”

Removing his hood and pulling down his scarf, Therion walked passed the thief and towards the hall. He could sense others hiding within the darkness of the room. “Did you all bring your reports as requested?” he asked the unseen figures. There was a quiet sound of shifting as one of them came into view.

“Word of the Lady Bifelgan’s kidnapping has spread outside of the inner Coastlands, but only as far as the Highlands; however, it is safe to assume word is making its way through the Flatlands as well,” they revealed. “No scout reported word being mentioned in the Sunlands, but there is still time for it to reach here before you leave.”

Therion sighed. “I fear that word has already made it here through different means, yet I was unable to confirm it,” he revealed. “For now though, I need the three of you to head towards the Riverlands. Warn those who run the safe house outside of Clearbrook that we will be coming soon.”

“Yes, sir, Prince Aeber, sir,” three voices said in unison. A moment later, there was a soft click as the group headed out into the rain, ready to travel beyond the desert. Their leader, the man who ran the safe house, stepped forward.

“Prince Aeber, there are a few things I wish to speak to you about,” he said as he approached Therion. “May we speak about it on the way to your room?”

“If you insist that we must speak, then so be it,” Therion said as he headed into the hall. He could see the walls in front of him illuminate softly as the other thief followed behind him. Though he had no interest in speaking with them, Therion allowed them talk to him to nonetheless.

“My Prince, I’m worried about the Lady Bifelgan. She was screaming and crying earlier, and on top of that, she’s refusing to eat,” the thief revealed. Stopping, Therion turned his attention to the thief.

“Did something happen while I was gone?” Therion asked in response. He assumed her actions were the result of her not enjoying her captivity, but there were a number of other things that could have caused it. Safe houses weren’t the most delightful places to be in, especially for somebody who wasn’t a thief.

“A scout from Marsalim returned a day ahead of schedule, and the Lady Bifelgan encountered them. You see, this particular scout holds a grudge against her for something that happened over five years ago, and they decided to act on it. If I hadn’t stepped in, they surely would have caused the Lady Bifelgan harm,” the thief explained. “She was shaking and crying when I took her to your room after.”

Therion let out another sigh. “That girl is going to continue having a rough time, you know. She’s been sheltered for so long that she still acts like a child, and there are many truths in the world that she’s unaware of. Though I thank you for keeping her out of harm’s way, you should consider this a learning experience for her.”

The thief began to frown. “I understand where you’re coming from, Prince Aeber, but should you not be more concerned? There is no way to predict what will happen to you and the Lady Bifelgan if this continues,” he pointed out. Therion moved his gaze to the flame the thief held.

“As long as the Lady Bifelgan is in my hands, no harm will fall upon her. Though my reasons for taking her may be selfish and fueled by hatred, I do not intend to let her get hurt. By the time this is all over, it will be like nothing happened,” Therion assured the thief. The flame of the candle grew brighter, and it danced as if it were alive.

The thief stepped forward. “You keep saying things like this, Prince Aeber, but I fear you don’t understand what you have gotten yourself into-”

“That is enough,” Therion interrupted before turning around and continuing forward. “You act as if you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to. I am a Divine Chosen- the man the God Aeber chose to mark. I am more aware of my situation than you realize.”

The thief winced. “...I’m sorry for my insolence, Prince Aeber,” they responded before once again following. “This safe house will continue to host you as long as you need. If you need to stay here until the festival passes, I will gladly continue to help care for the Lady Bifelgan.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Therion informed the thief. “I fear it’s no longer safe here if my theory is correct. Either way, it won’t be long until word of her kidnapping spreads, and people will surely be on the lookout for the girl. She and I need to leave the area as soon as possible.”

The thief inhaled sharply. “I just worry about your and the Lady Bifelgan’s safety, Prince Aeber. You have taken Bifelgan’s Idol from her home and into danger, and even if you are Aeber’s Legacy, as soon as the captain of her guard hears of her kidnapping, he will surely hunt you down without mercy,” they warned. “He is not a man who should be taken lightly.”

Reaching the room where he normally stayed, Therion came to a stop. From inside of it, he could hear a soft noise. It seemed that Tressa had either woken up, or had yet to fall asleep.

“...I have no intentions of falling to the Captain of Bifelgan’s Guard,” Therion stated with the full intention of the Idol hearing him. “He is nothing more than kindle to Aeber’s black flames, and if he finds us, I will face him without fear.”

“You need to not say such things, Prince Aeber!” the thief responded in a panic. “The captain is no mere soldier, and you knew this well enough to not take the Lady Bifelgan until he was no longer present!”

Therion gave the thief a piercing glare. “There is a difference between fighting a man who controls an entire guard and fighting a man one on one,” he pointed out “Against my hand, the captain would surely be consumed by the shadows before he even had a chance to attack.”

The thief looked at Therion in shock. “Prince Aeber, listen to yourself! I know you are a smarter man than this! If you are not careful, he will surely kill you!” They sounded frantic, but Therion did not wish to listen to their words. He knew the dangers of fighting the captain well enough, but knowing them wasn’t enough to change his mind. He wasn’t going to hand the Lady Bifelgan back over so easily.

Extending his hand towards the thief, Therion conjured a flame within it. It burned brighter than any normal fire, and it grew until it consumed the entirety of Therion’s arm. The thief stepped back before looking away in shame, knowing well enough they had crossed a line. Therion did not enjoy when those beneath him questioned his actions.

“I do not fear him… I do not fear Balogar’s Lord,” Therion growled before putting his arm down. The flames went out a moment later, and it was as if he had never cast the spell in the first place. There was no sign of anything being burned, not even his clothes showed a sign of scorching.

“Yes, sir… Prince Aeber…” the thief muttered while continuing to look away. “I will not question your decisions again…”

“Good. You are dismissed for the night. Do not bother me or the Lady Bifelgan again until I approach you first,” Therion ordered as he passed the thief. If Therion could rely on anything, it was that the thief would listen to him and do as they were told. No thief ever wanted to cross him. They knew their punishment if they did.

Therion chose to spend the rest of his time that night on the roof of the safe house. He did not sleep, and instead stared at the stars through the bits of clouds and rain that remained. Though he had no real interest in them, they gave him something to look at while he was lost in thought. There was much for him to think about, and much for him to decide. At the center of it all was the Captain of Bifelgan’s Guard, Balogar’s Lord.

It was well known that Balogar’s Lord had pledged his undying loyalty to Bifelgan’s Idol. The divine beings who had marked them were sibling gods, and it was said that their two chosen were just as close as they had been. On top of that, the God Aeber had once tried to kill Balogar in a second attempt to take Bifelgan, and the two gods had developed a twisted rivalry as a result. Even before then, the two were believed to always have been at arms with each other, and Bifelgan was trapped in the middle of their dispute. It seemed that now, history was beginning to repeat itself.

It was just as Therion had wanted.

The Prince had hit a stroke of luck when he learned Balogar’s Lord was going to be away from the Lady Bifelgan. Therion had not known the full details, but a scout from the Coastlands had reported the captain would be away for reasons relating to his god. Those travelers in Cobbleston  _had_ granted Therion with more info on the reason, but by then, Tressa was already in Therion’s hands. Surely, by the time word reached Balogar’s Lord, however, he would be furious that Aeber’s Legacy had struck when he did. Therion smirked just thinking about it.

Then there was Bifelgan’s Idol herself. Tressa was childish, and unsurprisingly, not fond of the fact she had been kidnapped. She had caused him trouble at every turn, and if he didn’t have plans for her, he probably would have left her in the desert. She was also stubborn, and on top of that, she also asked a lot of questions about the situation he had brought her into. Admittedly, Therion had not been the most willing to answer those questions, but that had been because he had no reason to indulge her.

The problem, however, was that he had promised her he’d start answering some of her questions once they reached Sunshade. Now that they had, he would have to hold up his end of the bargain or else he would never hear the end of it from her. Though he was unwilling, Therion decided it was in his best interest to at least humor her with a single answer. At this point, it was probably time he revealed to her how he had managed to escape with her in tow. It was the same way he could have escaped the scholar earlier.

For now though, he would enjoy the silence that the night brung...

.

..

…

_“Aeber! Don’t do this!”_

…

..

.

Tressa woke up with a sudden jolt. She sat up, her breathing heavy, and gripped the sheets of the bed tight. Her heart was pounding, and an intense mix of words and images were filling her head. Three figures stood surrounded by an inky blackness, and their voices were loud and sharp. They were speaking to each other, but everything they were saying was shrill and warped.

Her head throbbing, the image left her mind. Tressa didn’t know what was going on, but she had had another strange dream. The woman from before was there, along with two people she had never seen before. Something was happening, but Tressa couldn’t be certain to as of what. She tried not to think about it as the pain began to dissipate.

Taking a deep breath, the idol began to calm herself. Her body felt heavy, and she felt completely drained of her energy. Her breakdown from the previous evening had left her exhausted, and she had cried for what felt like hours, begging for her mark to disappear the entire time. Those feelings still hadn’t left her, but she was too tired to wallow in her own sorrows. She wasn’t certain of how much she had slept.

Much of what had happened the previous evening felt like a blur to her. Dinner had been brought to her at some point, and after blankly thanking the thief who brought it to her she did nothing more than poke at it with a fork. A bit after that, Yuna arrived with Tressa’s now dry clothing and hung the garments up nearby. The young thief tried to make conversation with the idol, but Tressa was not very responsive. After a few failed attempts to speak to her, Yuna finally left her alone.

Then there had been the voices. She couldn’t remember what had been said, but they had started a bit after a loud slam had woken her from her first attempt at sleep. Two people were talking outside of the room, and though she believed it to be Aeber and Matthew, she couldn’t have been certain. It had been dark, and she was feeling groggy. Though she tried to listen in and make something out, a wave of drowsiness quickly fell over her and she fell back asleep.

Now that morning had come, Tressa was unsure of what to do. Nobody was around, and there was nothing of interest within the plain room. She had no desire to seek out those who were in the safe house, but she knew if she were left alone, her thoughts would surely wander back to how miserable her life as a Divine Chosen was. Her breakdown may have been caused by Reed’s harsh words, but it had brought with it a bitter reality. She wasn’t happy having to live the life of a Divine Chosen, having to unwillingly play the role of the Lady Bifelgan.

The more she thought about it, the more she hated it. Having to be guarded at all times, rarely being allowed to even touch the ground, and having to let handmaidens do all the work for her… While some might consider it a luxury, to her it was a horrible way to live. Her short time with Aeber had already allowed her to do things she had been denied for the past few years, and for that, she was almost grateful to him. She wasn’t quite ready to thank him, however, as he  _had_ still kidnapped her. She didn’t like the thought of being grateful towards somebody who treated her as their captive.

...and then there was Leon.

As soon as word reached him of her kidnapping, he’d surely be furious. He hadn’t been present when it happened, as he had gone south at the request of the Priest of Balogar. Something had happened at the God’s shrine, and it was Leon’s duty as Balogar’s Lord to investigate. Leon’s absence was most likely the reason that Aeber had decided to strike when he did- Leon would have easily stopped the prince if he had still been around. The Captain did not play around when it came to her safety.

To make things worse, Tressa had also begged Leon not to go. To her dismay, the captain could not ignore his duty, but he assured her that he’d only be gone for two weeks. He said she’d be safe in the hands of the others, and that he would bring her a gift when he returned. His words, however, did not stop her from feeling like there was a pit in her stomach. Not even a week after he had left, it had caused her to become despondent and lonely.

And now she was in Sunshade.

Miles away from home.

Unsure if Leon even knew she was gone.

Trying to place her thoughts elsewhere, Tressa gazed out of the room’s single window. A faint light was shining in, and the sun had barely risen over the horizon. Outside, a few men worked to clear wet sand that had blocked the paths leading from the market and to their homes. Their voices were faint, but Tressa managed to make out a bit of what they were saying. It seemed they were talking about a string of strange thefts in the area.

The thefts seemed to mostly be at night, and only when there was a new moon. Various items would go missing, only to return during the next full moon. Whoever the culprit was, they seemed to be looking for something. Based on the activity, however, it appeared they had yet to find it. Tressa couldn’t help but wonder if Aeber or one of his followers had been involved.

Once the men finished their work and dissipated, Tressa turned her attention back to the small room she was staying in. More light was making its way into the room, and shadows had begun to slowly creep along the walls. At first she thought nothing of them and watched as they appeared to dance with the light, but then strange shapes began to form amongst them at a rapid pace. Something about it was mesmerizing, and Tressa found herself being unable to take her eyes off of them. It was as if....

Tressa screamed.

Aeber’s head had suddenly emerged from the wall.

He blinked. “...well that was about the reaction I was expecting from you,” he said before chuckling. An inky blackness surrounded the base of his neck, with nothing else being visible beyond it.

“What… What in the name of Bifelgan are you doing!?” Tressa stammered. “No person should be able to do…  _Whatever_ this is!”

Slowly, the rest of Aeber’s body emerged from the darkness, making no sound as he did so. “Since you kept asking, I figured I’d finally explain myself. This is how I escaped from your guards,” he said before placing his hand back on the now normal wall. Tressa was staring wide-eyed and wasn’t fully sure what to make of the situation.

“You just… Stuck your head out of the wall!” she managed to squeak out. She felt lightheaded and thought she was going to faint.

Aeber smirked. “Correction, I just stuck my head out of the shadows,” he told her. Suddenly, the area around his hand turned the same inky black as the wall had been before, and his hand disappeared within it.

“But… But how…?” Tressa asked as she continued staring. She had come to realize the darkness around his wrist was the same she had seen in her thoughts earlier.

“One of Aeber’s many gifts to me: the ability to travel within shadows,” the prince revealed. “It was one of his personal abilities, and something he felt I should have as well.”

Tressa thought back to her kidnapping. When she had asked where the Prince of Thieves was taking her, he had mentioned something about the shadows in response. Then a few days after, when she had asked him for an explanation, he had told her the exact same thing.  _The shadows…_  The resting place of the thieving god whom Bifelgan hated.

The idol pulled her gaze away. “Then that… That  _place_ you took me to…” she began before trailing off. That day… The Prince of Thieves took her into a twisted and dark world where nothing was as it seemed. Light did not seem to exist, and sound was distorted all around them. It had been terrifying.

“That was the shadows of our world,” Aeber explained to her. “It’s a reflection of all that we see, but created by a horrible darkness that consumes everything. It is not a place meant to be inhabited, but Aeber made it his home centuries ago. Within it, a person can travel faster and out of sight of this world, yet only Aeber and I may enter and leave as we please. We  _are_ able to take others with us if we so wish, however, which is why I was able to take you with me.”

Tressa eyed Aeber’s shadow as it spread across the wall behind him. “...why haven’t you tried to take me back there then? Wouldn’t it be easier for you to travel in that world instead of trying to hide in this one?” Tressa asked the thief. The more she thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense to her. It seemed like the more logical solution to  _stay_ in the shadows, where they couldn’t be found- where he would have no risk of losing her. Aeber, however, shook his head in response.

“Though traveling in the shadows is a gift granted to me by Aeber, it doesn’t come without risks,” the prince told her. “Regular mortals can only stay in the shadows for so long before going insane, and even as Aeber’s Legacy, I run the risk of being lost in the shadows forever if I don’t leave. Of course, Aeber does like to keep a watchful eye on me, and he drags me back out by my shackle when I run the risk of losing myself to the darkness.”

Tressa turned her full attention back to the thief. _Losing yourself to the darkness..._  That sounded a terrible thing to have happen. She doubted that Aeber would want such a thing to happen to his own legacy…

But…

“...how did you obtain that shackle, anyway?” the idol asked him. Though there were hundreds of questions she could have asked, that was the one that slipped out. She eyed the silver metal that had been trapped around his ankle and the chain that followed it.

Eyeing Tressa, the prince took his hand back out of the shadows and hid it within his cloak. “It’s not some sort of fashion statement if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s actually more of a curse,” he told her. “It’s what’s known as a Fool’s Bangle, and is one that belonged to King Aeber himself. In our time it’s used to mark thieves who are overconfident and foolishly let their guard down, but in Aeber’s time it was a marker of death. They were unlockable chains that a thief’s arm would hang from after they were caught and imprisoned. Unable to free themselves, they would starve to death like the fools they were, trying to pick the lock all the way.”

Horrified by the Prince’s words, Tressa brought her hands close to her chest. “And Aeber was one of those thieves who was caught?” she continued to ask. It didn’t make sense for a divine being to be as careless as a common criminal, but then again, as the prince had told her before, she was not one who normally heard Aeber’s stories. She couldn’t be certain to as of what had happened.

“The God Aeber… He is the only known thief to have ever escaped the unlockable chains, and he did it twice no less. He considered them a symbol of his skill, and those he robbed were said to always comment on the silver chains that moved as he did, never impeding him once,” the prince explained. Tressa took a deep breath.

“That doesn’t explain how you’ve managed to receive it,” she pointed out. It made a bit of sense knowing that it had belong to the God Aeber himself, but Tressa didn’t understand why the thief would purposefully wear such a thing, even if he  _was_ chosen to be the next Prince of Thieves.

The prince looked away from Tressa, almost as if he were ashamed. “...it was Aeber who placed the shackle upon my ankle,” he revealed. “He placed it as a way to be connected to me directly- what you see is only partially what exists, and the rest of the chain exists infinitely within the shadows. As I told you, Aeber was foolish enough to have two bangles, and the other is still in his possession. With this connection in place, he has complete control over me and my life.”

Tressa let out a loud gasp. “Your God controls you!?” she asked in disbelief. Though Aeber was not held in high respect by herself nor those who followed Bifelgan, she did not expect that a divine being would do such a thing to their own chosen. Tressa  _did_ live by her Goddess’ name, but that hadn’t been a decision made at Bifelgan’s hand as far as Tressa was aware. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if the Goddess had been more involved and controlling.

The prince sighed. “He does, and though he’s not always present around me, he does like to make himself known from time to time,” he added on. “Those strange incidents in Cobbleston- the glass breaking and you being pushed towards me- were at his hand, and his way of alerting me that he was lurking within the shadows of the divine plane.”

Tressa sat with her mouth slightly agape. “Aeber was there…?” she continued to ask. Something… Something had felt strange that day, but she had chalked it up to her silence and not the possibility that a god was in their presence. Knowing the truth now though… She had many more questions she wanted to ask.

The thief’s expression became smug. “I was a fool for not realizing earlier, but I was able to use it to my advantage,” he told her. “It was his interference that allowed me to get you to agree to continue traveling with me.”

Annoyed by the prince’s smugness, Tressa let out a small huff. “Is this why you kidnapped me then? Because Aeber made you do it with the control he has?”

Suddenly, the thief’s expression turned into one of anger. “It was my own choice to kidnap you. I still have a free will of my own, even with this shackle. It’s only when I go against Aeber’s wishes does he try to intervene- it was trying to defy those wishes that caused him to shackle me in the first place,” he explained. “He didn’t want to lose control over his own Legacy.”

For a moment, it felt as if Tressa’s heart stopped.  _So… It had still been the prince’s idea to take her in the end_. Even if Aeber held power over the prince, it seemed the God had supported the idea enough to let the prince go through with it. That, however, only raised another question. It was yet another that he had been avoiding.

Inhaling sharply, the idol looked at the prince with confidence. “Then tell me the truth to as of why you took me from my home,” she requested. “For what reason did you want to obtain Bifelgan’s Idol?”

The prince looked directly back at her, his one eye looking dull. “...you ask too many questions,” he complained before walking over to the window and looking outside it. “I’ve already told you more than I would have liked, and I’m not a man who wishes to speak of myself or my life.”

_Drat… So close!_

“Well,” Tressa began before huffing again. “Thank you for at least answering some of my questions, even if you are still avoiding most of them,” she told the thief. She still didn’t like the idea of thanking her captor, but she figured she sounded passive aggressive enough that it didn’t come off as completely thankful. Even if he technically  _had_ kept his word to her, he was still being a pain in the butt!

But… There was something inside of her that felt…  _Bad_ for the prince.

Something that was sad… And almost lonely...

Perhaps…. Perhaps it was empathy?

Tressa had been forced to live her life as the Lady Bifelgan, and she now knew the Prince of Thieves had part of his life controlled by Aeber. Taking the names of their gods, they had been forced to fulfill expectations that had been placed upon them. The more she thought about it, the more Tressa realized that the two were more similar than she had initially realized. They were both chained to roles that they were being forced to play in their own ways, though his chain was more literal than hers. Maybe, just maybe, the prince hated being a Divine Chosen as much as she did…

...no, she  _refused_ to feel empathy towards that man. He had still taken her from her home, and there was obviously no intentions of letting her go. Divine Chosen or not, he was still a dirty, rotten thief!

The thief scoffed. “Don’t get used to it. I have no reason to tell a little girl like you more than I already have, and not even those idiots who pledge loyalty to me know what you do now.”

Tressa blinked in confusion. “...idiots?” she asked in hopes of clarification. Most of the thieves she had met so far had been nice, and she didn’t see any reason for the prince to be so rude towards them. Well, except for Reed perhaps…

The thief laughed before shaking his head. “Did you actually think I  _care_ about those who follow me?” he asked her. “I never asked for any of them to be loyal to me, and I sure as hell didn’t ask them to treat me as their prince. They’ve proven their use to me, but I will  _always_ choose to work alone when given the chance. I don’t need their help.”

_Ugh_! How could she even have  _considered_ feeling empathetic towards this man!? He was just as much as a jerk as he always was!

The prince turned back towards Tressa with an annoyed look. “Now hurry up and get dressed in that dainty little divine outfit of yours. Some of those fools won’t stop asking to see you, so I figured I’d let you sit with them to get them to shut up.”

“What?” Tressa asked in response. “They want to see me?” It shouldn’t have come off as a surprise knowing who she was, but after her previous encounter with Reed, she wasn’t sure how all of the thieves felt about her. Then again, they had seemed curious about her the previous afternoon…

“Honestly, it feels like all you can  _do_ is ask questions,” the thief once again complained. “Just get dressed and keep your mouth shut. I really do prefer when you’re quiet.”

Her temper growing short, Tressa scowled. “Once Leon manages to find me, I hope he gives you the punishment you deserve,” she grumbled under her breath. Even though she couldn’t be certain as when it would happen, she  _was_ certain that Leon would make his way to her. Protecting her was his duty after all.

Taking a sharp breath, Aeber glared. “What did you just say?” he asked her. She could tell he was getting angry, but she was as fed up with him as he was with her.

“I said, ‘get out so I can change’!” Tressa yelled before throwing a pillow at the thief. Much to her surprise, it actually hit him, and he stumbled backwards.

“Why you little…” he growled. For a moment, flames appeared in his hands, but they quickly died down as he took a deep breath to calm himself. “...I’ll be waiting outside. Don’t take too long, or I’m coming back in, your state of dress be damned.”

With a loud slam of the door, the prince of thieves left the room. Tressa felt herself loosen up, and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She had run a huge risk getting on the prince’s nerves again, but he was proving the words she had heard in Cobbleston were true. The Prince and his God were rotten to the core, just as Reed and so many other thieves were. Bifelgan had been right to hate them as much as she had.

For now, however, it seemed Tressa had no choice but to entertain them for the rest of the day...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [LOUD SOBBING] IT'S FINALLY DONE...
> 
> After reworking this chapter for a third time, I FINALLY managed to get it to a state where I'm happy with it. Originally it was just from Tressa's PoV with a different intro, and then I decided to try again from Therion's PoV with the intro we actually got here, and when I felt the second half lost a lot of impact being from his PoV, I decided to make it half and half. Honestly, this was probably the best way for me to write this chapter AND get all the info I needed to in here, and I'm just... So glad to be finished with it.
> 
> We're also finally getting some answers to some questions that you guys- and Tressa- have been having! One of Therion's abilities is to indeed be able to travel within the shadows, and it's honestly a really fun one. That's not all that he has up his sleeve, however...
> 
> And of course, Tressa won't be left out of this! Her abilities will surely begin to shine as time comes to pass!
> 
> As for me, it's time to start work on the next chapter... Along with a bit of a surprise :3c


	7. A Bird's Foretelling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tressa is taken by Prince Aeber to meet a group of his followers, she's not certain what to expect from them. At first she's distant and quiet, but as they begin to speak with her she begins to open up slightly. Things take an awkward turn, however, when they start asking her about one of her hobbies.

As Tressa was led through the safe house halls by the Prince of Thieves, there was an uncomfortable silence. He was holding her by the wrist, and taking her in a direction she had yet to go down before. Her jewelry chimed softly as they walked, and the shackle on his ankle made the occasional clink as the metal chain hit the ground. Aeber was looking straight ahead, and his gaze never wandered anywhere near Tressa. His focus was on getting her to their destination.

With her free hand, Tressa adjusted the hairpiece that sat on top of her head. The amount of time she was taking to get dressed hadn’t been to Aeber’s liking, so he had come back into the room as she was still trying to finish up. He had rushed her out despite her protests, leaving her without her accessories as he dragged her out into the hall. Though she had managed to grab them on her way out, she was having difficulty putting them on in a presentable way. There was only so much she could do with one hand and no mirror, and it wasn’t like she was the one who normally put them on her anyway.

As they continued down the hall, Tressa noticed thieves beginning to appear. Some came out of rooms before bowing to Aeber, while others passed without even a glance in their direction. Many of them, however, would also take a moment to look at her, whispering to each other as they passed. Afraid of what they were saying, the idol moved closer to the prince out of instinct. She didn’t want to hear anymore of the harsh words they had to say.

After walking through a few more twisted halls- a design choice Aeber said was used to confuse intruders- they finally came to a stop in front of an archway. “Those who wish to meet you are in here. Go ahead,” the prince said before gesturing towards the inside of the room. Scattered around, half a dozen thieves mingled amongst each other, not noticing the new arrivals. Tressa stepped forward.

“Um… Hello,” Tressa meekly said as she observed the group. They were all drastically different from one another, and it was obvious they all came from different walks of life. As she approached them, they all began to stare at her. She froze up.

“Ah, Tressa! Are you okay!?” one of the thieves asked as they ran towards the idol. Jumping slightly in surprise, Tressa stepped back before coming to a realization a moment later. Though the thief was no longer wearing the shawl they had adorned yesterday, Tressa was able recognize who it was.

“O-oh, Yuna!” the idol stuttered out. She could feel herself relax a bit as the female thief moved towards her. The thief was frowning.

“I… I heard what happened with my sister yesterday,” the thief told Tressa. “I’m so, so sorry about her- she wasn’t supposed to be back from her scouting mission for another few days. If I had known she had returned early, I would have walked with you to Aeber’s room.”

Tressa lowered her gaze. “It’s… It’s okay, Yuna,” she tried assuring the thief. Though Reed’s words had ran deep and caused Tressa a lot of pain, she wasn’t going to hold the younger girl responsible for the older thief’s actions. It wasn’t Yuna’s fault that Reed held such a strong grudge.

Yuna, however, continued to frown. “I was so worried about you when I saw the state you were in last night, so I went and asked Matthew about what had happened. When he told me, I was horrified by what my sister had done!” she explained. “If there’s anything I can do to make up for her behavior, please let me know.”

“Please, don’t worry about it. I don’t want to cause anymore trouble while I’m here,” Tressa told the young thief. The idol had yet to recover from her mental exhaustion, and she already had so much on her mind. Aeber’s revelations had caused a mix of emotions within her, and she didn’t need the weight of Reed’s words on top of that. She desperately wanted to get off the subject.

The thief, however, persisted with her proposal. “Really, it’s no trouble at all! You  _are_ the Lady Bifelgan after all, aren’t you? For that, you should be treated with the utmost care and respect-”

“That’s enough,” Aeber interrupted, placing his hand on Tressa’s shoulder. “I will speak to your sister about what she did myself, so for now, please stop pestering the Lady Bifelgan about it.”

Wincing, Yuna stepped back. “Yes, sir, Prince Aeber, sir. Please forgive me,” she said half-heartedly. She was obviously upset by her sister’s actions, but Tressa doubted she wanted to go against Aeber’s words. He was a menacing presence, who could strike fear into the hearts of anyone.

Aeber cleared his throat. “Now, I expect the six of you to not cause any trouble for the Lady Bifelgan today,” he told the group of thieves. “I originally had no plans of stopping during our travels, so consider yourselves lucky to be in her presence.”

Tressa turned her attention back to the group, her expression somewhat somber. Knowing how Aeber truly felt about his followers made her feel somewhat bad for them, especially with how happy they all looked. She wondered how they’d feel if any of them knew the truth.

A silence followed, and the group continued staring at Tressa. She wasn’t sure if they were waiting for her to speak or were unsure of what to say, but it was making her feel more uncomfortable than she already was. If it weren’t for Aeber’s hand still being on her shoulder, she probably would have tried to run back to his room.

Somewhat to Tressa’s relief, one of the female thieves in the group spoke up a moment later. “Um… Your outfit is really pretty, Lady Bifelgan!” she commented shyly. Looking at the thief, Tressa guessed they were in their late twenties. They were probably from the Frostlands, as their blue eyes and blonde hair were a common site there, but they were dressed as any other traveler in the Sunlands would. What truly stuck out, however, were giant burn scars that covered the thief’s upper arms. Though they were mostly red, other parts looked as if they were as black as charcoal.

Another thief sitting next to the blonde spoke after. “It seems to be made of a silk not Orsterran in origin,” they pointed out. “Perhaps it’s been imported from the northern country? I hear Kingship’s fabric is high quality, and only the richest of Orsterran families can obtain it.”

Still uncomfortable, Tressa placed a hand on her chest. “It’s… From West Kingship to be exact. I was given the silk as a gift when I was around 15 or so, and about a year ago my parents hired a seamstress to make this outfit for me,” she revealed. Another thief amongst the group, one who was sitting on the arm of one of the couches, gasped.

“That’s amazing, Lady Bifelgan!” they said in awe as they rushed over to inspect the fabric of Tressa’s outfit. The idol realized that this thief looked almost identical to the thief next to the blonde woman, but her black hair was much longer and her outfit more shapely. Tressa guessed that the two were probably twins.

“And your accessories? Your necklace and headpiece are quite striking, you know,” yet another thief brought up. This one was another man, with his red hair tied up and wearing a cloak that looked freshly washed. He seemed to be very well-kept for somebody of his profession.

“Oh, um…” Tressa gripped her necklace tight, the same as she had done in Cobbleston. “The feather comes from a rare bird native to the far east of the Coastlands, and the headpiece was made by a jeweler in the Southern Coastlands to match my necklace. The necklace itself, meanwhile…”

“It belonged to the Goddess Bifelgan herself,” Aeber finished. “It, along with the Crown of Bifelgan, are called the Grand Treasures of the Coastlands and are high in value.”

There were more excited gasps from the group, and the thief inspecting Tressa’s dress let out a squeal of delight. Tressa, meanwhile, looked at Aeber in surprise.  _How had he known about her necklace?_

During their time in Cobbleston, he had made no mention of knowing its importance. In fact, when he had inspected it early that day, he had treated it as a normal piece of jewelry. Her hopes had been that somebody else would recognize it as a Grand Treasure and be able to help her, and that she’d be able to escape her captor. Every time she had tried, however, something would happen, and Aeber would drag her elsewhere. Perhaps he had known the truth of the necklace all along, and had purposely sabotaged all of her chances of freedom.

Though that didn’t really explain why he let her carry it in the first place...

The last thief in the bunch, a boy no older than twelve, scrambled across the furniture to be closer to Tressa. His long scarf flowed behind him, brushing against the others as he passed them. “I’ve heard about Bifelgan’s Crown! Mama used to tell me about how pretty it was, and that she once went on a mission to steal it!” he excitedly told the idol. He was grinning, and Tressa noticed he was also missing a tooth. Growing more uncomfortable, she fiddled with her necklace.

“Oh, yeah. It used to be a really big target amongst groups of thieves,” she said awkwardly. Over the past five years, she had been told many stories about different attempted robberies. None had been successful, however, and the crown was still in its rightful place.

“Do you perhaps have the crown with you? I’d love to see it,” the thief with burns scars commented. Tressa gripped the gem on her necklace tight.

“No, um, I don’t have it,” she informed the woman. “I’ve chosen not to receive it until my 21st birthday, and it’s being kept somewhere safe until then.”

“The Shrine of the Trader,” the twin still sitting mumbled to themself before looking back at Tressa. “That is correct, isn’t it? After a pirate attempted to steal the treasure seven years ago- the same incident that this boy’s mother was a part of- they locked it within Bifelgan’s Shrine. Supposedly, the Priest and his son now guard it.”

Tressa gave a small nod. “Um, yeah. That’s exactly what happened,” she replied. She lowered her gaze again, trying her best not to make eye contact with any of them. The idol was never the best with having so many people ask her questions, and the thief inspecting every inch of her outfit wasn’t helping either.

“Why don’t you let the Lady Bifelgan sit down?” Aeber suggested as he placed both hands on her back. “She’s had a difficult journey, and there will be plenty of time to ask her questions after breakfast.”

Yuna looked at the Prince. “Will you be joining us, Prince Aeber?” she politely asked him. “Matthew is cooking today, and we would all be honored to dine with both you and the Lady Bifelgan.”

His hands still on Tressa, the prince shook his head. “I’ll pass. I have more work I need to attend to and no time to spare,” he answered. “I’ll find myself something to eat from the market while I’m out.”

Fixated on Tressa, the young boy in the scarf leaned over the side of the couch. “Did you know that Matthew is my daddy, Lady Bifelgan?” he asked. “He and I started living here after mama went on a journey somewhere very far away! We’re waiting for her to come back, so we can be a family again!”

Tressa looked towards the boy; she could see the resemblance between him and the older thief. “No, he didn’t mention to me that he had a son,” she explained. Aeber was nudging her towards a chair now, so she placed herself down on the empty seat. The boy was still grinning.

“My name is Hector! I just turned 10 last month!” he informed Tressa. The young boy had managed to crawl over the blonde thief, and she was beginning to smile.

“If we’re making introductions then, I’m Natasha. I serve as an informant here in Sunshade, and it’s my job to pass on anything I learn to Aeber when he’s in town,” she mentioned. From nearby, the thief who had been inspecting Tressa’s garb spoke up.

“And I’m Lou! And the one who thinks he’s oh so smart is my twin brother Rey,” she introduced. “We’re normally scouts in the Flatlands, but we’re passing through to deliver news to a town south of here! When we heard the Prince would be bringing you here though, I couldn’t help but want to meet you!”

“It also gave me a chance to stop in town for the festival,” Rey added on from the couch. “I find the Divine Chosen and the Gods fascinating, and if it weren’t for our troubled start, I would have become a scholar to study them- because I am smart, despite my sister’s comments, mind you.”

From a table across the room, there was a laugh from the red-headed thief. Looking at them, Tressa realized she had seen them before. He was the bard from the previous day.

“You know, I’m the only one here who actually makes a decent living off of the gods and the Divine Chosen. Singing that song about them and the gods wherever I go- it’s far better than being a boring old scholar reading a dusty old book,” he commented before leaning back in his chair. “The name is Joshua, by the way, and I’m responsible for locating suitable targets for thieves to rob. I find whatever stingy, rich people don’t want to drop coin and pass the word around the safe house in whatever area I’m in.”

“And you already know me!” Yuna chimed in afterwards. “I normally work as a scout with my sister, but recently I’ve been helping Matthew keep things organized here in the safe house!”

All the thieves were smiling at Tressa, and she could feel her heart pounding. She had never been good with large groups of strangers, and even if this group was smaller than most she dealt with, it was still a lot for her to take in. Though she  _had_ grown used to being surrounded by handmaidens and guards, they were all people she had come to know over time, and they had a very different way of approaching her. This was something entirely different. It almost reminded her of the group that had caused her to be confined in the first place.

Tressa took a deep breath and swallowed. “Um, you all know me as the Lady Bifelgan, but… My name is Tressa, and I’d prefer if you call me that instead,” she introduced. “It’s… Nice to meet all of you.”

Her throat was feeling dry- she didn’t know the last time she had water was. Everyone had their eyes on her, their smiles wide, and her skin was beginning to crawl. She was desperately wanting to return to Aeber’s room.

“Hector, what have I told you about climbing on the furniture?”

Tressa watched as the young boy scrambled off the couch before turning her attention to the room’s entranceway. Standing there, trays of food in hand, was a disgruntled looking Matthew. He scooted his way over to the table, where he placed the trays down. His arms were covered in flour, along with parts of his clothing. On his left hand, Tressa noticed a wedding ring.

“Good morning, Lady Bifelgan. I hope you’re hungry, because there’s more than enough to go around,” Matthew told her gleefully. “Even if not all thieves will be eating with us this morning, I’m sure you’ll see enough of them as they come to get a bite to eat before leaving for the day.”

“Thank you, but… I’m… Not that hungry,” Tressa responded. It wasn’t a lie- she truly didn’t have much of an appetite- but she wasn’t sure if Matthew would believe her. She hadn’t eaten the previous night, after all.

“Whether you’re hungry or not, you need to eat,” Matthew told Tressa as a few of the thieves in the room made their way to the table. “From what Prince Aeber has told me, you still have a long journey ahead of you, and you’ll need the energy if you want to make it to your next destination safely.”

“Sweet King Aeber, these look delicious!” Lou interjected as she held some pastries in her hand. She took a bite out of one, and chewed happily. She was getting jam and cream all over her cheeks.

The older thief smiled before looking back to the entranceway. “Why don’t you come eat with us, Prince Aeber?” he asked. The prince wasn’t paying attention to what was going on, and instead looking out a window as he leaned against a wall. He waved his hand as if he were telling the other thief to leave him alone.

“You weren’t here when I first mentioned it, but I have business that I need to attend to,” he informed Matthew. “I don’t have any time to stay and eat.”

“No time to stay and eat? What nonsense!” Matthew stated before laughing. In a move that surprised not only Tressa, but also the other thieves around her, Matthew walked towards the prince and pushed him forward. “The Lady Bifelgan is a guest here, and you are the master of this establishment, are you not? What kind of master leaves his guest to dine all alone with strangers? As our Prince, you should have better manners than that!”

Looking dumbfounded, Aeber was pushed towards the same seat as Tressa. His eyes were wide, and he was moving without any resistance. The idol had seen how bad the Prince’s temper could be, but he seemed to be so caught off guard by the other thief’s actions that he had no time to react. A moment later, however, he swatted his hand back at the older thief. A bit of smoke followed behind.

“Is this  _really_ how you want to treat me? Especially after our discussion last night?” Aeber asked in a low a growl. Tressa assumed he was referring to the conversation the two had had just outside of Aeber’s room- the one she had failed to listen in on. From the way Aeber spoke of it, some rather unpleasant things must have been said.

“Well, why don’t we ask the Lady Bifelgan what she thinks?” Matthew suggested while gesturing towards Tressa. At the sudden mention of her, the idol tensed up and went wide-eyed herself. She hadn’t expected to put on the spot like that.

 _Did_ she want Aeber to dine with them? He looked to be aggravated, and it was probably for the better that she let him go without causing trouble. For what reason should she want him to stay and dine with her and his followers anyway? He had been so rude when talking about them, and he obviously had other things he wanted to do. She didn’t need such a presence when she was already so uncomfortable herself...

...it was then, however, that an idea began to form in her mind.

Tressa sat up straight, puffing her chest out to try and increase her presence. “I’d actually like it if you stayed with us for breakfast, Prince Aeber,” she said almost proudly. It was a change from how her demeanor had been moments prior, but she was honestly faking it. If she hesitated even a little bit, he would more than likely use it against her. She hid all sense of fear, however, as she refused to let her plan fall through.

If Aeber was so insistent about his distasteful feelings towards his followers, then why not try to make him spend some time with them?

The red-headed thief began to chuckle. “I think it’s decided then. Prince Aeber has officially been invited by the Little Lady Tressa to stay with us for breakfast!”

Lou, meanwhile, clapped her hands with glee. “Oh, you must sit next to Lady Tressa if you’re going to be staying, Prince Aeber!” she insisted before grabbing the prince by the arm. “It’s such an honor to us all to have not one, but  _two_ Divine Chosen in our presence!”

The prince huffed, very much disapproving of the situation he had been put in. “I told you all, I don’t have the time to stay-”

Before Aeber could finish speaking, Rey went over and grabbed the prince’s other arm. “Please, Prince Aeber! Sit down and join us! I have so many questions that I can only ask if both of you are around!”

Inhaling sharply, Aeber darted his gaze back and forth between the two. The ends of his scarf were starting to turn a fiery red. “For the  _last_ time, I am not staying for breakfast- MMPH!”

“What was that, Prince Aeber?” Natasha asked as she stood in front of the Prince. She was smiling, having pushed a breakfast pastry into Aeber’s mouth when he had been too busy trying to argue. Tressa, meanwhile, had started snickering, delighted by what had occurred. The others laughed as well as Aeber began to glare.

“So Aeber, will you be joining us then?” Tressa asked with a hint of smugness in her voice. Her feelings of discomfort were dissipating, and she could feel herself finally starting to enjoy the presence of those around her. It was the same feeling she had when she was spending time with Leon.

Pastry still in his mouth, Aeber swatted the twins to get them to let him go. They stepped back, and Natasha stepped to the side as Aeber moved forward. For a moment, Tressa feared he was going to come after her by the way he was looking at her. He stopped in front of her, looking down and straight into her eyes. She looked back, tensing up and bringing her hands close to her chest.

“...mmfve omvr,” the prince grumbled unintelligibly. The idol blinked before realizing what had been said, and she scooted over in the seat she had been sitting in. He sat next to her, chewing on the pastry as he leaned back.

“Yay, Prince Aeber is eating with us!” Hector cheered before stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth. Next to him, his father smiled brightly.

“Well Prince Aeber, how does everything taste? Is it to your liking?” the older thief asked as he brought one of the trays of food over and placed it on another table. From his tone, it sounded as if he were trying to tease Aeber. His current pastry still unfinished, the prince grabbed another before glaring in annoyance.

“...shmpht uph.”

For the next hour, the group ate with general glee. Those who had not seen each other in a bit swapped stories, while others sat stuffing their mouths with food. Other thieves serving Aeber would wander in at times, but after commenting on the Prince’s presence while grabbing something to eat, they’d promptly leave after Aeber grumbled orders to them. Tressa herself stayed rather quiet as she listened to the others speak, but she would laugh and smile when something caught her interest. This particular group hadn’t turned out to be so bad after all.

Tressa sat sipping from a small cup of tea as stories continued to be shared. Aeber still sat next to her, though he had finished his meal early on. His arms were crossed, and he was eyeing each thief as if he were trying to study them. Tressa felt strange sitting next to him, especially in their current situation. While she had been in close proximity before, it had only been when they were traveling.

“And so we’re lost, and the target we were assigned to by Prince Aeber is nowhere to be found…”

Gazing out of the corner of her eye, the idol watched the prince. He was breathing slowly, and despite the joyous atmosphere, appeared to be on edge. To Tressa, he looked as if he could pounce on the other thieves at any given moment. She couldn’t tell what he was truly feeling, however, as she didn’t have a clear view of the eye he actually showed. All she really saw was the mess of bangs that covered the left side of his face.

“I suggest we ask for directions like normal people, but Lou  _insists_ we ask a shady fortune teller who  _guarantees_ they can locate who we’re searching for...”

Moving her head slightly, Tressa tried to get a better view of Aeber. She didn’t want him to realize she was looking at him, but something caught her eye. She had seen little bits of Aeber’s mark on their travels, but not at this angle. From here, she could see what looked to be flames starting to go down his neck. The strange pattern around them matched her own mark.

“So for some reason, we have to rely on fortune telling to finish the job!  _Fortune telling_!”

“Hey! It worked out, didn’t it?”

Tressa had turned her full attention to the prince now, but he had yet to notice. He was too busy watching the others, and he had probably forgotten about the girl next to him. Hesitantly, the idol reached her hand up. She didn’t know what was coming over her, but she couldn’t stop herself as she moved her hand towards the prince’s cheek. She stopped, however, when her own mark came into view.

“Oh, Tressa! Is it true what they say about you being able to tell fortunes?”

“Huh?” Tressa snapped her hand back and turned her attention to the group of thieves. They were all looking at her now, and she wasn’t sure why. Even the prince had turned to look at her.

“They say you sometimes tell fortunes to the people of Rippletide!” Lou mentioned cheerfully. “From what I hear, you’re pretty accurate too!”

Tressa placed her hands in her lap, a light blush spreading on her cheeks. “Oh, that? It’s just something the captain of my guard taught me to do. It’s nothing special, and I’m really not accurate at all,” she explained. She hadn’t expected such a mundane hobby of hers to be brought up.

When Tressa had first met Leon, she had had a hard time opening up to him. He was nice and she liked him enough, but actually holding a conversation with him was difficult. He was somewhat intimidating to her, and she never knew what to talk about. Leon seemed to notice this, and one day approached her with a proposition. He would teach her how to fortune tell while they learned more about each other.

On top of being the Goddess of Wealth and Fertility, Bifelgan was also the Goddess of Fortune. Fortune Telling had been her creation, and all of her fortunes were said to have been accurate. As Bifelgan’s Chosen, it made sense for Tressa to learn how, whether she was accurate or not. It gave her and Leon something to bond over too, and they had fun telling each other’s fortunes. In total, he had taught her three methods, and she had learned an additional five on her own.

“I’ve heard tales of the Living Goddess’ fortunes,” Joshua mentioned as he leaned over the back of one of the couches. “They say you tell fortunes during merchantry festivals, and it’s the only time you ever go outside.”

Tressa nodded shyly. “Um, yeah… But I swear! I’m not that accurate!” she insisted. “I always get sick after those festivals too. Something about going outside after being inside for so long…”

“Would it be too much to ask for you to show us an example of your talent, Lady Tressa?” Natasha asked before taking a sip of her own tea. Next to her, Hector beamed.

“I wanna see her fortune tell! I wanna see her fortune tell!” He was cheering loudly, and Tressa’s blush deepened.

“Well, I’m sure I can, but whose fortune  _should_ I tell?” she asked in response. There were eight other people in the room, and she didn’t think she had the energy to tell  _all_ their fortunes. Well, she probably wouldn’t have to since she assumed only seven of them were willing.

“...why don’t you tell Aeber’s fortune?” Yuna suggested a moment later. “I think out of all of us, he would benefit from knowing what the future holds for him.”

The prince snorted. “Hard pass,” he said as he put his feet on the small table in front of him. “I don’t need fortunes when I have all the luck I’ll ever need. Besides, haven’t I done enough for you today?”

Across from him, Rey cleared his throat. “I haven’t had a chance to ask any questions yet, but the prince’s fortune might present some more interesting ones than what I had in mind,” he stated. Next to him, Lou nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah! Anything is better than my brother’s nerding out!” she said before receiving a nasty glare from her brother. Tressa laughed lightly at their antics before turning her attention back to Aeber.

“Well, what do you say, Prince Aeber? Want to hear your fortune?” she asked before smiling. The way the others were acting had put her in a good mood, and she was smiling more than she had in months. The last time she had smiled this much, it was because Leon had snuck her outside for a few hours during the night.

Scowling, the thief looked at her…

...and sighed a moment later.

“Fine, but just  _one_ fortune,” he reluctantly agreed. “I don’t need you putting my life down on the table for others to see.”

Tressa beamed. “Great! Give me your hand,” she requested. “I know a lot of different methods, but reading palms is the easiest and most convenient! It doesn’t require cards or for it to be a specific time of day, amongst other things!”

The thief rolled his eyes. “You’re really going to read my palm? I doubt there’s much you can predict based on using some bumps and lines on my hand. It’s honestly the oldest and cheapest trick of the scam you all call fortune telling,” he said. Annoyed, Tressa puffed out her cheeks and glared.

“This kind of palm reading is different! It’s the same method that Bifelgan used when she was around, and I’d prefer if you didn’t speak ill of it!” she complained. Aeber was staring back at her, and his expression seemed doubtful. He sighed again.

“One of these days, you have to stop acting like a child,” the prince said before putting his feet down. He held his gloved hand out to her, and Tressa gave him a slight pout. The prince sighed again, taking his glove off and putting it on the table next to him. Tressa smiled again and took his hand within hers.

Aeber’s hand… Felt rough. She assumed it was from years of thievery and should have expected it, but actually feeling the roughness was odd. His hand was surprisingly slender too, which probably had its benefits when it came to taking things out of unsuspecting people’s pockets. On his wrist, bandages wrapped their way halfway up his forearm, and she could see scars sticking out from underneath. She wondered how old they were.

“Okay, to start, I need you to ask a question,” Tressa informed the prince. “It can be as exact or as vague as you want it to be, but if you’re too vague, the reading won’t be very specific when it comes to the subject.”

The prince cocked his head back. “Oh great Lady Bifelgan, what does my future hold?” he asked in a mocking manner. Tressa decided to ignore him, and instead focused on finding out what his fortune foretold. She brushed her thumb over his palm and observed the lines that she could see. She blinked.

An image appeared in her head- something that always happened when she told fortunes. A small, shadowy figure stood in front of a road leading down three paths, each one leading somewhere far away. In front of the figure, a caged bird sat hanging from a sign that pointed down each path. The cage itself was locked tight, and the shadowy figure was the one holding the key. Tressa knew immediately who the figure represented.

“...in time, you’ll come to a crossroad,” Tressa began. “At this crossroad, you’ll be presented with an opportunity.” She wasn’t sure how to express it, but Aeber was being given a chance to either free the bird or let it stay caged.

“A crossroad, huh? Very specific,” Aeber commented before chuckling. Tressa could tell he wasn’t taking the reading seriously. “So, what are my options?”

With one of her fingers, Tressa traced down a curved line along Aeber’s palm. In her head, the figure chose to take the bird down but keep it caged. The figure walked partway down the rightmost path, where he then let the bird out. The bird flew around him, and gold began to rain from the sky. The figure collected some of the gold before walking back down the way they came, but much of it was left behind.

“If… If you follow the first path you want to take, then you’ll be rewarded with a grand treasure. One beyond all that you can ever imagine,” Tressa revealed. “You’ll only take some of it though, and the rest will be left for others to obtain.”

Aeber raised an eyebrow. “A treasure? Really? Pass, I already have all the treasure that I’ll ever need,” he said. “Next option?”

Tressa bit her lip and traced down yet another line, this one stopping short. This time, the figure chose to go down the middle path without taking the bird, where they eventually came to a stop. Another figure appeared, this one made out fire, ice, and lightning; they held the bird cage in their hand. The figure with the cage then drew a spear and proceeded to strike down the figure made of shadow. Tressa winced as the shadowy figure fell to the ground and blood pooled out around them.

“If you take the second path presented to you… You will be struck down, dying at the hands of another,” she continued. There were horrified gasps from the other thieves around them, but the prince didn’t even bat an eye.

“Death is always a risk in this business, so it’s not anything new or unusual,” he calmly responded. “Next, you’re going to tell me I’m going to live a long, healthy life and live happily ever after. Isn’t that how these things always work?”

Taking a deep breath to hide her annoyance, Tressa traced one last line that crossed most of the prince’s palm. This time, the figure freed the bird before even moving forward, and then headed down the leftmost path. The bird followed, singing a joyous song as the figure continued to move. When the figure reached the path’s end, however, the bird began to change. It turned into a third figure, one made out of swirling waves, who took the shadowy figure’s hand and continued to move forward along with them into the unknown.

Tressa didn’t know who this new figure was, but she knew exactly what they represented.

She blushed deeply.

“If you take the third option… And go down the final path presented to you… You’ll fall in love,” Tressa said almost breathlessly. The prince quickly swiped his hand away from Tressa, and there were a few squeals from the female thieves.

“Prince Aeber is going to fall in love!?” Natasha asked in excitement. “Imagine that! Our Prince finding someone whom he treasures with all of his heart!”

“To think the Prince may one day find his Princess! I would gladly serve a Princess of Thieves on top of him!” Lou added on as she clapped her hands together. Yuna, meanwhile, giggled.

“What a wonderful fortune to have told,” she stated. Tressa could see Aeber’s face turning red, but if it was out of anger or embarrassment, she didn’t know. He shot up and moved away from her and the others, making sure to grab his glove as he did so.

“That… That’s just ridiculous!” he claimed with a slight stutter. “You’re just trying to mess with me and make me look like a fool, but it won’t work!”

Tressa once again puffed out her cheeks. “I’m just telling you what I saw; you don’t have to get so defensive about it! Besides, I already told you I’m not that accurate, so I could easily be wrong!” she reminded him. She was huffy with him, but then again,  _when wasn’t she_? He was always so rude!

A moment later, however, Hector approached the prince. The young boy looked nervous. “But… She gave you three options. What if you die instead, Prince Aeber? What would we all do then?” he asked. It was a heavy question, and a hush fell over the room. None of the thieves wanted to think about such a possibility.

It was true though- Tressa had indeed foreseen Aeber’s possible death. Even with her questionable accuracy, it was still a rather dark thing to predict. The Prince had brought up a good point, however: thievery was a risky business, and death was always a possibility that they faced. Tressa didn’t understand why people would turn to thievery knowing there was such a risk, but then again, greed caused people to do horrible things. Those around her didn’t seemed to be greedy at all though- in fact, they all seemed quite nice. She wondered what had happened for them to all end up in their current position.

The prince turned away, his scarf flowing behind him. “...I must attend to business elsewhere,” he stated. “Please keep the Lady Bifelgan company until I return.”

This time, no thief tried to stop the prince. He stepped forward, and a moment later, he was gone. Whether he slipped away into the shadows or just disappeared into the darkness of the hall, Tressa wasn’t sure. He had left them in silence, however, and the heaviness in the air had yet to dissipate. It was almost suffocating.

A moment later, the silence was broken. “That’s Prince Aeber for you. Leaving with barely a word,” Joshua mentioned as he reached for a leftover pastry. “Nobody ever knows what’s going on in his head, and nobody ever will.”

Nearby, Rey nodded in agreement. “Prince Aeber is a mysterious man, but that should be expected as the one who was chosen to be Aeber’s Legacy. Where he came from is a mystery, and he doesn’t speak of where he’s going.”

“Some people think he was born deep within the Sunlands or Cliftlands, while others say he’s not from Orsterra at all.” Lou added on. “We can’t even begin to guess what name he went by before taking Aeber’s.”

Tressa looked down at her hands, which she had placed back in her lap.  _Nobody knows his name or where he’s from…_  It was just as Yuna had told her yesterday. Aeber was a man of mystery, and he didn’t want that mystery to be solved.

There was a chuckle from the bard. “Well, at least this time the prince has left us with a cute girl- Ow!”

“The Lady Bifelgan is a  _guest_ , Joshua, and you will treat her as such!” Natasha scolded. Her hand was raised high, and she had hit Joshua on the back of his head. Matthew was glaring at the two.

“Children, behave yourselves!” the older thief ordered. “We’ve been given very specific instructions by the Prince, and things would be much easier if you two stopped goofing around!”

While the two thieves mumbled apologies, Yuna looked over at Tressa. “Well, since you’re spending so much time with us today, why don’t we continue with the fortune telling?” she asked. Tressa looked around at the group before shaking her head. She had a different idea of how to spend her time.

“Um, actually, can you all tell me about yourself instead?” she asked in response. “I don’t… Really get to meet new people, and I’d like to learn more about you all before… Before Aeber takes me away again. If that’s okay with all of you, of course.”

Back home, the only people she ever met were those deemed worthy enough to see her. They would tell her of their woes and why they had come to Rippletide, and with that came stories of places she had never seen. She had always liked hearing these stories, even if most of them didn’t have a happy ending. With a group like this, however, they had plenty of stories that they could tell. She had already heard so much, and she wanted to hear more.

Lou smiled widely. “Of course it’s okay with us, Lady Tressa!” she assured the idol. “Ask anything you’d like! As long as we’re comfortable answering, we will!” Around Lou, the other thieves nodded and began to sit down in Tressa’s general area. They were all smiling as well as they began to chatter.

For the next few hours, Tressa sat amongst the thieves asking them questions. Most of them were answered, while others they chose to pass on for personal reasons. She didn’t push any of them; however, she still learned a lot more than she had thought she would. They were surprisingly open to her, unlike how Aeber had been. They said it was because she felt like somebody they could all trust.

Tressa had already learned Yuna’s story, but the young thief expanded on it more by talking about how she and Reed became thieves as a way to track and take down scammers; they said it was their way of getting revenge. Joshua, meanwhile, turned out to be Natasha’s fiancé. The two had met when he saved her from her burning home in the Frostlands, and they turned to working for Prince Aeber when they needed to pay for medical bills. Natasha’s burns were so bad she had lost her arms, and the strange blackness Tressa had saw were actually mechanical prosthetics made by a thief in the Woodlands. Natasha tended to stay home in Sunshade while Joshua traveled, but she’d occasionally go with him when she wasn’t needed in the area.

Rey and Lou were born in the town of Orewell, where they had lived a rather normal life until they were young adults. For an unstated reason, their parents became abusive towards Rey when the twins were 23, and to keep her brother safe, Lou took him to the Flatlands, where they were eventually recruited by a follower of Aeber in the area. That had been Matthew’s wife, who had been in the area scouting for an important treasure. Matthew himself had already began running the safe house in the Sunshade, and apparently, his wife disappeared shortly after that meeting. Matthew declined explaining why he became a thief, but he did say he was raising Hector to be a regular citizen, despite the young boy’s objections.

At some point, Tressa found herself talking about her own life to the group as well. She told them that before she was labeled as Bifelgan’s Chosen, she had wanted to become a merchant like her father. It had always been her dream to travel the world, but once she was locked away those dreams were shattered. Aeber kidnapping her was the first time she had ever left Rippletide, but she wished her current travels had been under different circumstances. None of the thieves condemned their prince’s actions, but they all thankfully understood how Tressa felt.

Sometime during the mid-afternoon, the group ate lunch- yet another meal provided by Matthew- and Tressa found herself growing sleepy. Though she was enjoying her time with them, she had still only gotten so much sleep during the night. She was ready to curl up and take a nap.

Yuna offered to lead her back to Aeber’s room, but Tressa politely declined. She had spent hours talking with the thieves, and she needed a bit of a break- big groups of people were still difficult for her to deal with after all. Even if things  _had_ ended up going well, she wanted some time to organize her own thoughts. Though both Matthew and Yuna were worried about her, they agreed and gave her the directions for where she needed to go. Thanking the thieves for their time, Tressa went back into the twisted halls.

The safe house was much more brightly lit compared to the previous day, and Tressa found herself able to walk at a reasonable pace. There was no reason to walk slowly, but she was careful of her surroundings. She didn’t want a repeat of yesterday and to find herself running into another hostile thief. Though she did have her fears of running into Reed again, Yuna had mentioned her sister had been sent out earlier that morning. The chances of running into the older thief were slim.

Arriving back at Aeber’s room, Tressa closed the door behind her. Sighing deeply, she walked over to the bed and threw herself down onto it. The blankets were warm, and they smelled as if they had just been freshly washed. She rolled herself up in one of the blankets and rested her head against a pillow. Her eyes began to close...

“Tired already?”

Tressa sat up, her attention turning towards one of the room’s many plain walls. Aeber had suddenly appeared in front of it, and she assumed he had made his way out of the shadows after she had gotten into bed. She huffed.

“You’re not going to drag me off already, are you?” she asked in annoyance. She was in no shape to travel and had no interest in leaving her current spot. If he tried anything, she’d have to insist that he carry her again.

“No, I’m only checking on the Living Goddess before I go back to work,” Aeber responded before chuckling. His clothes and face were dirty, and it looked as if he had been wandering around in the desert.

“Well, I’m  _fine_ ,” Tressa insisted. Well, her throat felt a little bit scratchy, but she chalked it up to needing water. She had talked a lot earlier, after all. “You don’t need to go worrying about me.”

Another chuckle. “Worry about you? No, I’m just making sure you don’t cause any trouble like you did in Cobbleston. I don’t need you trying to run off while I’m gone,” the prince mentioned before stepping over and lightly grabbing the gem of her necklace. “You know, I still have no idea why you were so hopeful somebody would recognize your necklace back there. No common folk ever lays eyes on the Grand Treasures of the gods, so your chances were slim if not non-existent.”

Tressa snatched her necklace out of the prince’s hand. “Even if the chances were slim, the chance of me being freed from your grubby hands was still there,” she countered. The prince was starting to get on her nerves again. He stepped back.

“Fine, have it your way,” he told her. “Just know you’re not going to get away that easily. I think I’ve proved that to you enough times by now though.”

Tressa huffed again. “You’re a no good, dirty, rotten thief,” she grumbled. “Go… Eat another pastry or something and leave me alone!”

Aeber rolled his eyes. “And have to deal with those fools again? No, I’ll pass on that.” Tressa realized he was starting to tense up, and she was wondering why. She knew she couldn’t ask, however, since she wouldn’t get a straight answer anyway.

“...why do you have such a problem with them anyway?” she asked instead. “They all seem like nice people, and none of them became thieves for nefarious purposes as far as I know.”

The prince began to laugh, but not with his normal, smug aura. This laugh was… Different. There was something about it that put Tressa on edge.

“Nice people? When you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you learn that there’s nobody in this world who’s nice, nobody who you can trust. Every thief holds dark secrets and can strike you down at any moment, and if you think otherwise you’re a fool who will find themselves chained, or worse- dead,” he said before smirking. “A child like you wouldn’t understand though.”

Tressa inhaled sharply. “For the last time, I am not a-”

She stopped, her throat starting to burn. She began coughing, but after a moment of trying to catch her breath, the feeling went away. She definitely needed water.

“That’s enough. I have nothing more to say to you and need to return to what I was doing,” the prince said as he walked back towards the wall. The shadows shifted, and he began to go inside of them before turning back to look at her. “Oh wait, one last thing. We leave tomorrow morning, before the sun rises, so get as much sleep as you can because I’m not carrying you again.”

“Jerk…” Tressa mumbled to herself as Aeber disappeared. “I was already trying to sleep before you had to come and interrupt.”

Laying back down, Tressa looked up at the ceiling.  _They were leaving tomorrow, huh?_  She wondered where they’d end up next. Wherever it was, however, it would be another opportunity to try and escape. She hadn’t given up yet, and she was certain she could find one way or another to break free of the cage Aeber was trying to force her into. Even better yet, Leon could find them before they even had the chance to leave Sunshade.

Her thoughts wandering, Tressa thought to how things had been earlier in the day. The prince had sat quietly while eating, and even grown flustered when she told him his fortune. It was like he had been a different person altogether. Perhaps it had just been because the others were being a bit forceful towards him, or perhaps he really could be a kind person when he felt like it. It was like the thieves had said earlier, he was a mystery…

Closing her eyes, Tressa let her breathing slow. She didn’t know what the future held for her, but for now she needed to rest. Her thoughts continued to wander, but they began to fade as she fell asleep. In those last moments, the faces of those she met appeared in her head. Despite what Aeber had said, they really had been so kind to her...

Perhaps, just perhaps, not all thieves were as terrible as she was led to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my lord was this chapter so much easier than chapter 6...
> 
> In actuality, parts and bits of this were leftover from my first attempt at writing that chapter. Since there was so much to tell, I ended up moving it over and expanding it into its own chapter instead! In the long run, that was probably for the best, though I'm a bit worried this chapter is more filler heavy than info heavy...
> 
> We finally get to look at one of Tressa's abilities, though! Fortune Telling is one of her lesser powers, and something I really like messing around with. It holds some rather interesting plot importance, especially with Bifelgan, so this definitely won't be the last time we see it!
> 
> (Also yes, the thieves are named after FE characters in one way or another. It was just easier that way!)
> 
> One last thing before I go! There's now a Discord Server for the Divine Chosen AU, and you can find more info on my twitter! It's just a little test run area for now, but it'll serve as a way to organize things if we keep it :D


	8. A Forgotten Journal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting the next part of their journey, Therion and Tressa find themselves having difficulties in their travels. Between running from guards and getting caught in a sandstorm, Therion doesn't think things can get anymore troublesome then they already are. That is, until Tressa presents a mysterious item to him that she wasn't supposed to find.

The world was silent.

It was before dawn, and darkness plagued the streets. Lamps flickered softly, and winds blew through the quiet desert town, chilling the already cold air. From the darkness, Therion watched the vacant streets for signs of movement. He and Tressa were to leave Sunshade within the hour, but whispers of his crimes were finally starting to spread. The people of Sunshade now knew that the Prince of Thieves had kidnapped the Lady Bifelgan, and the Knights Ardente were getting involved.

Though the Knights Ardente posed no threat to Therion, it was not he himself he was worried about, but Tressa. Though the Lady Bifelgan had warmed up to her thieving company in the safe house the day prior, she was still very much a captive who wanted to return home. Even with his promise of answers, Therion couldn’t guarantee the girl would continue to stay by his side. She had proven to be quite the pain in the few days they had been traveling together, and she was very vocal about her desire to go home. If the Knights Ardente were able to find her, it would only cause him more headaches.

Yet he wouldn’t give her up so easily; he wouldn’t let everything he had done so far be all for naught...

“Prince Aeber, we’re almost ready to depart.”

Therion looked over his shoulder. A thief working as a scout was standing behind him with bags in hand, and a farther ways behind her, her twin brother worked to finish filling the back of a camel-drawn cart. It was to be Therion and Tressa’s transportation for part of the next leg of their journey.

“...is the Lady Bifelgan ready to depart as well?” Therion asked in response. He had been the one to wake Tressa up that morning, but she had been sluggish and irritable. When he tried to pull her from the bed, she retaliated with a groan and a smack to his forehead. Were it not for the thief who had come in at that moment, Therion would have chosen to drag Tressa out without letting her have a chance to eat and get dressed. He was getting tired of her behavior.

“Matthew will be bringing her out momentarily,” the thief informed the prince. “He wanted to make sure she was well fed and that the two of you would have enough supplies to make it to Clearbrook without any problems.”

Therion turned his attention back to the streets. The town of Clearbrook was a few days away by foot, so they would need to spend some nights either camping in the wilderness or amongst one of the settlements along the way. It wasn’t a dangerous journey, but Therion knew why the other thief was worried. The thief who ran the safe house had taken a liking to Tressa, and he had voiced his concerns about her quite enough. Even though the thief knew better than to defy Therion, Therion also knew he couldn’t stop them from trying to take care of the girl.

“And the items that are to be sold at the Black Market?” Therion continued to ask. He could hear the farther thief grunting as they pulled a tarp over the items they had placed in the cart. The closer thief cleared her throat.

“If everything goes as planned, Rey and I should arrive in Wellspring either tonight or sometime tomorrow morning. We’ll take the cargo to the safe house there and deliver your message as soon as we arrive, and from there we’ll decide the best way to go about things. Once the money is collected, it’ll be distributed in the manner requested,” she stated. “We’ll return to Atlasdam shortly after that and send out a report once finished.”

Therion gave the thief a slight nod of acknowledgement. “Good. Keep it that way,” he ordered. Though he did not care for those who followed him, he couldn’t deny the importance of the work they did. He may have considered himself a lone wolf, but their loyalty and willingness to help him were valuable to his exploits as the Prince of Thieves.

With the conversation over, the thief left Therion in order to assist her brother. The prince listened as they worked, but his gaze was still on the empty streets. Though the center of town continued to be lively all through the night, it was rare for anything exciting to happen in the poorer district. Families dared not leave their homes out of fear of what lurked in the shadows, and very few had the coin to spend on nightly activities. It made the nights feel lonely.

He could still remember the days when it hadn’t been that way...

As Therion stood motionless amongst the shadows, a heavy wind passed through. Sand was kicked up from the ground, and Therion quickly covered his mouth with his scarf. After a long moment, the wind died back down.

_The winds… They had been strange as of late…_

Though the winds had not blown in the Cliftlands for centuries, it was present everywhere else in Orsterra. In the Coastlands they were salty and gentle, in the Highlands they were cold and strong, and in the Sunlands they were warm and sporadic. Over the past few days, however, Therion had noticed that the patterns were changing drastically. Wherever he went, strong winds followed, with some reaching the point of being violent. They were dangerous, but he had thankfully yet to be hurt by the strange shift in weather.

Perhaps it was the Goddess Bifelgan seeking vengeance, or perhaps she was simply angry over her chosen’s kidnapping, but he could not be certain of either…

“Prince Aeber, it’s time to go!”

Therion snapped to attention. How long had he been standing there lost in thought? He wasn’t certain, but when he turned around he learned it had been enough time for the twins to finish preparing the cart and for the other thief to bring Tressa out. She was yawning and very much didn’t look to appreciate the fact she was awake. Therion walked over.

“I’m going to have you sit up front and direct the camels,” he said gesturing to the twin thieves. “The Lady Bifelgan and I will ride in the back so she can sleep more.”

There was a grumble. “If you planned to let me sleep anyway, why did you go and wake me up?” Tressa asked sleepily. Her eyes were half shut, and she was clutching her pack as if it were a pillow.

Therion smiled smugly. “Consider it a courtesy,” he told the sleepy girl. “I could have easily chosen to just carry you off again as you slept, and with how you treated me earlier, it may have been the better option.”

Tressa huffed in response. “I thought you said you weren’t going to carry me again,” she reminded the thief with a scoff. “Are you that forgetful or do you  _enjoy_ being treated like a servant by me?”

Therion’s fingers twitched in annoyance, and he could feel the tips beginning to burn. What nerve that brat had! He  _really_ was getting tired of her behavior!

A hand found its way to Therion’s shoulder. “Prince Aeber, you should leave before it gets too late,” the older thief escorting Tressa stated. Therion looked at them and brushed their hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” Therion demanded harshly. “You should know better than to get in my way after our conversation from the other night.”

That had been when the thief overstepped their boundaries and angered Therion, and they were close to doing the same here. Unlike the other night, however, the older thief did not wince and back down at Therion’s aggression. Instead, they looked Therion dead in the eye.

“Prince Aeber, you’ll attract unwanted attention if you cause a fuss,” the older thief said almost bluntly. “The rules and reality of the safe house do not exist in the world outside of it. You’re best to watch yourself.”

Therion clenched his fist. The thief was right. In safe houses, Therion could use his powers to hold control over everyone around him, but out here it was a different story. It was too dangerous to bring attention to himself.

After a long moment, Therion relaxed his hand. “...no matter what happens, continue to keep this place a secret,” he ordered. “If it means laying down your life, then I expect you to die before you let this place be found.”

The older thief continued to keep his eyes on the prince. “...of course, Prince Aeber. No harm will come to this safe house or its occupants as long as I draw breath.”

Satisfied, Therion walked towards the cart. “Then the four of us will depart at once. As you said, we need to leave before it gets too late.” He could see the sun starting to rise beyond the cliffside that hung over town, which meant they were already behind schedule.

“We only need to make sure we don’t attract any attention to ourselves,” the thief who had loaded the cart stated. “Plenty of caravans pass through during the festival, so as long as we don’t stick out it shouldn’t matter too much when we leave.”

“Yeah, but if it gets too late it’ll be too crowded and we’ll lose time, so stop your yapping and come on!” their twin countered as she climbed onto the cart’s main seat. There was a sigh from the first twin, and they climbed up behind her.

Suddenly, a noise caught the attention of the four thieves. Voices could be heard in the distance, along with the growing sound of footsteps. Turning towards the direction the noise was coming from, Therion could see his worries were becoming a reality. A group of guards had come to the area, and they were going to each house one by one. They had yet to notice the thieves, but it wouldn’t be long until they did.

“...we need to go  _now_ ,” Therion said as he scooped Tressa up into his arms. The young chosen let out a squeak of surprise, and the prince placed her in the cart before she could protest. He climbed in after her, and the twin thieves took hold of the camels’ reins. They needed to hurry.

“Take the back roads out of town- they’ll be safer,” the older thief insisted before handing a pack to Therion. “And take this with you. It has enough supplies for both you and Tressa to make it to Clearbrook in one piece.”

“Hurry it up, you two! They’re heading this way!” one of the twins warned with a sharp whisper. Looking towards the guards, he could see that two of them were making their way over to the group. Based on the symbols adorning their clothes, they weren’t of the Knights Ardente, but just of the local guard.

“Can we help you two?” the older thief asked as he moved in front of the two guards. Neither of them had their weapons drawn, but they seemed to be wary of the company they were in.

“Ah, yes. We’d just like to ask a few questions,” one of the guards began. “Our group has been instructed by our captain to ask the whereabouts of every individual in this area the past few nights. You see, there was a kidnapping in the east recently, and an anonymous source tipped that the victim is currently traveling west with a white-haired man in a rather worn looking cloak and long scarf… And your friend here fits that description quite well.”

Therion stood up and stretched out his fingers. Either those who saw him in Rippletide had given a rather detailed description of him, or there was a snitch amongst the local thieves. Both were rather unfavorable situations to be in, but a snitch meant something much more terrible would have to be dealt with.

“I admit that I fit the description given well enough, but I promise that you have the wrong individual. Our little group just came from the west of here, and we’re going east in order to sell our goods at the next Merchantry Festival in Rippletide,” Therion informed the guards while smiling. He knew well enough how to be convincing in his lies, and his added charm always helped. Next to him, Tressa was starting to get restless and fumbling with her necklace again.

“Do you have proof of this?” the other guard asked. Therion looked at them and blinked.

“Proof? I don’t have any proof on me, but then again, you also don’t have any proof I kidnapped anyone,” he countered. He was still smiling, and trying his best to come off as being gentle. He was more likely to get them to back off if they thought he was trustworthy.

The guard shook their head. “I’m sorry, but unless we get proof of your story, we can’t let you leave the area,” they stated. Stretching his arms out, Therion propped a foot up onto the side of the cart and let his chain catch somewhere that would keep him steady. He looked to Tressa, who looked away when she realized his gaze was on her, before looking back to the guards.

“That’s too bad…” the thief said before chuckling. “...I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to hurt anybody while transporting the Lady Bifelgan.”

There was a loud shout from the front of the cart, and the camels began to move at a rapid pace. The winds were beginning to pick up, and Therion watched as the entire group of guards began to give chase.  _Those poor fools had no idea what was about to happen..._

Hot, searing flames appeared in front of the guards as Therion extended his arm out. His scarf blew behind him, and the ends lit with the same fire he summoned. The flames circled around the guards, and each time they tried to escape the circle, the flames only grew higher. Therion watched as they struggled to fight off the flames, followed by the safe house’s owner disappearing someplace where he couldn’t be found. Knowing that guards were in the area, it wouldn’t be safe for the owner to return to his work until they fully cleared out.

And then, there was another shout.

“TELL LEON THAT I’M SAFE! TELL BALOGAR’S LORD THAT THE PRINCE OF THIEVES HASN’T HURT ME!”

Tressa was leaning over the side of the cart, her hand reaching out to the distance. Tears fell down her face, and her necklace was blowing in the wind. She grabbed it to hold it in place.

“PLEASE! I’M BEGGING YOU! FIND LEON AND TELL HIM I’M ALIVE!”

As Tressa’s shouts faded away, Therion stepped back into the cart. The idol was shaking, and her eyes were full of tears. Her crying, however, was soon interrupted by coughing, and Therion knelt down to grab water for her from a pack. He reached to give it to her, but he was met with the idol pushing his hand away and looking straight at him. Her cheeks were red with anger

“You killed them, didn’t you!?” she yelled at the thief. “You killed those guards so they couldn’t tell anybody where I am!”

Shaking his head, Therion left the water next to the idol and stood back up in the cart. He looked to the twin thieves, who were very much trying to mind their own business and focus on the road ahead. The brother was even whistling to distract himself.

“..no, I didn’t,” Therion answered before looking out towards the east. The sun had fully risen over the cliffside, and a westward wind blew strongly past them. Therion could hear Tressa moving behind him.

“Why would I believe you!? Why should I believe a dirty, rotten, no-good thief like you!?” she continued to yell. Her voice was sharp, but it also cracked. It was obvious to him she was scared.

Hesitantly, Therion placed his hand over his mark. “Why should you believe me?” he asked in response. “...because I am bound by my mark to obey Aeber’s Law. The law that states I must steal from the corrupt, give to the misfortunate, and shed no blood… I cannot kill a man who has done no true harm. That is why you should believe me.”

...it was silence that followed Therion’s answer, and then the sound of something sliding. Looking back, Therion could see that Tressa had turned away from him and was keeping to herself. She had picked up the canteen he had left her, and it seemed she had no plans to question him further. Therion was grateful for it, however, since it gave him a much welcomed moment of peace. They were becoming much more rare the more time they spent with each other.

Of course, things never stayed peaceful for long...

In time, the group reached the point where they would split ways. The sun was high in the sky, and dry winds made the sand shift around them. The twins said their goodbyes to the idol and prince, and the two chosen watched as the thieves and cart disappeared into the distance. Therion and Tressa were left to make the rest of their journey on foot, which was normally something Therion would have no worries about. The rough morning and continuously strong winds, however, gave Therion a feeling of uneasiness about what was to come.

At first, things seemed to go smoothly as the two chosen made their way through the desert. A few monsters made their presence known, but they were quickly dealt with through combat or chased away. Tressa was getting a handle on how to properly use her dagger, and a parasol she had been gifted by one of the safe house thieves served as a great blunt weapon. Therion himself had no problems despite some monsters having an immunity to fire magic, and managed to only receive minor cuts. Even Tressa had only received minor injuries that were easily patched up.

Things began to take a turn when Tressa began coughing again. The winds were growing violent, and sand was being pushed through the air. Therion covered his mouth with his scarf, and he instructed Tressa to do the same herself with her cloak. It didn’t help to stop Tressa’s coughing, however, and she was constantly needing water from their canteens. Their supply that was supposed to last them a few days was already growing low, and there was not an oasis in sight. In fact, the two of them could barely see a thing.

A sandstorm had hit, and with it came its own set of difficulties. The sands irritated Tressa’s lungs, and the two of them could barely move through the howling winds and sand. Therion cursed to himself as he tried to power through it, but each of his steps were slow, and Tressa’s even slower. Grains of sand brushed against their skin like tiny knives, and the winds threatened to knock them onto the ground with each gust. They needed to find shelter fast.

Their shelter came in the form of ruins of an old desert town. It had been abandoned centuries prior, and nowadays only served as a resting place for desperate travelers. Homes made of rotting wood struggled to stand, and those made of stone were eroding away. They hid themselves in the first home they could find that had not succumbed to time and the elements. It would hopefully be enough to protect them.

Still coughing from the winds and sand, Tressa sat down and gasped for air. Therion offered her what little water remained in his current canteen, and once her breathing had settled, looked around the home. It wasn’t that big, with only two rooms making up the layout, but it served its purpose. A few items of furniture remained, along with a fire pit off to the side. It would prove useful, especially since he was starting to get hungry.

“Are you hungry?” Therion asked Tressa as he approached the fire pit. The winds outside were loud, so he had to raise his voice slightly so he could be heard. It was troublesome.

She didn’t respond. He heard her place the canteen back down, but no words followed. Perhaps she was just tired from all of the coughing she had done, or perhaps she was tired of speaking with him after all that had occured. Either way, he hadn’t gotten an answer. It didn’t really matter to him though.

“I’m going to make you something to eat anyway,” Therion stated as he cast a flame into the pit. “It’s been hours since you last ate, and you need the energy.”

Opening the pack he had prepared himself, Therion took out their leftover plums and some dried meat he had pilfered from the kitchen. It was a small meal, but enough to hold them over until they were able to reach a proper town. He was certain the thieves had packed them plenty of food for travel, but he wanted to save it for a time where they hadn’t been forced to stop early. Perhaps if the storm had calmed down enough by the morning, he would grab water from the abandoned town’s well and make a proper meal. They’d need the energy to make up for all of the ground that they had lost.

Placing the meat on the stones surrounding the pit, Therion waited for it to heat up. It was proving to be a slow process, so he busied himself by tending to the fire. Though it was made from divine magic and would only go out on his command, it gave him something to distract himself with.

“...you were born in Sunshade?”

Therion looked over his shoulder in confusion. Tressa was looking at him, and she was holding something in her hand. He couldn’t make it out, but he doubted it was an item of importance.

“Where I was born doesn’t matter to you,” he bluntly told the idol. “Thieves have no home and are always on the move. Even if we have places we stay longer than others, it is never truly a home. Why are you even asking?

Tressa held up the item in her hands nervously. “The thing is, I… I found this journal in your room at the safe house, and I assumed it was yours. The first page talks about a home in Sunshade and-“

“GIVE THAT TO ME.”

In a fit of anger, Therion walked over and snatched the journal from Tressa’s hands. The flames of the fire flared out behind him, but died back down as he held the journal close. Tressa’s face was pale, and she was looking up at him with fear in her eyes. He didn’t care though; she had crossed a line.

“What made you think you could just take things from my room!?” Therion shouted at the idol. His blood was boiling, and his hands were shaking with rage.

“Says the dirty, rotten thief! Everything you own is probably stolen off of somebody innocent!” Tressa snapped back. “If I take something to get answers you won’t give me, then that’s on you and not me!”

“You little brat!” Therion sneered. She was trying to use his own actions against him, but it was a weak move. He wasn’t going to let her silly words get to him.

“You are the absolute worst! You’re a no-good, dirty, rotten thief who only deserves horrible things!” Tressa yelled. “That journal probably proves that, and that’s why you don’t want me to read it!”

_That was enough._

Turning around, Therion grabbed his pack off of the ground. Empty canteens clinked inside of it as he did so, and he put it underneath his cloak and over his shoulder. He needed to cool off.

“I’m going outside and refilling our canteens, storm be damned. The meat on the pit is almost done, so make sure you eat both it and some of the plums. It’s not my fault if you’re too weak from not eating, so don’t even try to be stubborn,” he told her. The way he spoke to her, it felt like he was addressing one of his followers instead of a young girl. He was giving her orders.

“You’re going to leave me here all alone?” Tressa asked sharply in response. “You are an absolute garbage of a human being! The absolute worst!”

Ignoring her insults, Therion made his way towards the door. Based on what he could hear outside, the winds had died down slightly and were no longer violent. Despite the change, however, it was still probably too dangerous for them to travel for long periods of time.

“I’ll be back before it gets too late. Don’t cause any more trouble while I’m gone.”

Once outside, Therion placed the journal in his pack and covered his mouth with his scarf. It was still windy, but the amount of sand in the air had been reduced greatly. He doubted the calm would last long, however, and needed to move quickly.

Making his way through the ruins, Therion headed towards the center of the town. It wasn’t the first time he had traveled through them, and he knew for a fact an old well still stood in the remains of the square. The winds tousled his hair and blew his scarf as he moved, and his hood refused to stay up. He didn’t have much protection from what sand still remained in the air, but it wasn’t bothering him.

When Therion finally reached the well, the winds had started to whistle. The ruins had plenty of open areas to blow through, and such a sound was common. The whistle, however, was low and eerie, giving off a hollow feeling to the surrounding area. It gave the thief a strange sense of discomfort, and he felt out of place and unwanted in the town. He needed to work quickly.

Grabbing a decrepit bucket left against the stones, Therion worked to gather water from the depths of the well below. Though the town had been abandoned centuries prior, water still flowed freely under the land and kept the well from drying up. The sound of a soft splash echoed through the air, and Therion could feel the shoddy rope tied to the bucket grow tighter as the bucket filled. The well’s crank had fallen into ruins with the town, which left the prince relying on his own strength to bring the bucket back up. Once it was back in his hands, the thief looked inside to see how much water he had collected.

He was greeted with his own reflection, illuminated by what light managed to shine through the storm. His appearance was a mess from the wind, and his bangs had been blown all around, leaving his mark in plain view. He placed a hand over it.

His mark… It was a silver dagger with a golden hilt, struck through his missing eye as if it were a scar. Red flames wrapped around the dagger and down the side of his face, and they were dangerously close to creeping down his neck and across his shoulder. It was like a burn that would only keep growing, consuming him like the flames he conjured in his hand…

_“You’re a no-good, dirty, rotten thief who only deserves horrible things!”_

Therion stepped back, dropping the bucket in the process. Water splashed onto him, and he cursed as he realized what he had done. He’d have to collect the water all over again thanks to his wandering thoughts, and it wouldn’t be a fun process while wet. He let out a heavy sigh.

_That stupid girl…_  He was starting to let her get to his head.

Taking his cloak off to wring it out, Therion began to think back to when he had first planned to kidnap Bifelgan’s Idol. At the time, he had an entirely different image of her in his head. With her upbringing, he thought the Living Goddess would be fragile and weak, leading her to follow everything he said without question; it was supposed to be easy for him. Instead, he had taken somebody stubborn and loud; somebody who had a temper hotter than any flame he could summon. Her words held strong emotions behind them, and she was nothing like the quiet girl he had originally seen six months ago.

That had been during Rippletide’s Spring Merchantry Festival. Therion had been in the area for unrelated reasons, and upon hearing rumors that the Living Goddess would be making an appearance, wanted to see her for himself. He had made his decision long ago that he would one day take her, but now he was truly beginning to formulate a plan. Therion needed insight on the area and what he would be up against before striking, and the event was the perfect opportunity to investigate. It would be crucial for the crime he wanted to commit.

Therion, however, had been unable to get a good look at Tressa at the time, as the crowd was thick and restless. Bifelgan’s Idol was telling fortunes to a lucky few, and almost every member of the crowd was hoping to be selected. As they raised their heads in an attempt to look at the Goddess, Therion instead observed the area around him. The extravagant home was heavily guarded as he had expected, and Balogar’s Lord did not leave the Living Goddess’ side. The only thing seemingly not protected that night was the coin pouch of a random stranger Therion passed.

But now…. Now the two chosen had finally met face to face. Therion thought back to the moment he first saw her, and then to the moment he witnessed her being treated as a fragile doll in her own home. Within a few days of being with him, she had proven herself to be something entirely different. She was strong willed despite her circumstances, and whenever he thought she was going to break, she always snapped back. She was a pretty girl, but she wasn’t any treasure to be taken and passed around. She was her own person… And one who hated thieves more than anything.

“Hmph, not like I asked to be a thief, and not like it really matters in the end anyway,” Therion muttered to himself as he went to retrieve more water from the well. Tressa did like to remind him over and over she hated what he was, but he mostly tuned her out. He would only have to deal with it for so long.

As Therion worked to get more water, sandy winds blew against him and stung his skin. He had yet to put his cloak back on- he felt it would only weigh him down until it was dry- and ignored any of the pain he felt. With the bucket now once again full, Therion removed the canteens from his pack and filled them to the brim with water. It would surely be enough to last them the rest of the journey as long as Tressa’s cough calmed. Once the storm passed, things would hopefully smooth out.

Canteens placed back in his pack and cloak thrown over his shoulder, Therion headed back towards the shelter. The sandstorm was picking back up as he had expected, and he needed to move fast if he wanted to make it back before it became any worse. The homes around him were creaking loudly, and those close to collapsing rattled violently. He found his pace quickening as the wind continued it’s low whistle, and his heart was starting to beat fast. It was unnerving.

Reaching the home, Therion entered quickly and slammed the door shut behind him. His breathing was heavy, and he could feel small cuts along his skin that had been left by the winds. He placed his hand on his chest and took a deep breath.

Composing himself and fixing his bangs, Therion looked around the ruined home. The fire was still going, and a few pieces of meat had been removed, while the remaining ones had turned a burnt black. It seemed Tressa hadn’t bothered taking the rest off (or had left them to burn to spite him) when she went to eat.

Speaking of Tressa… Where was she?

Therion continued to look around, but there was almost no trace of the idol. Her pack was still in the room and open, but she herself was missing from view. The thief moved forward in attempts to see if she had curled up in a corner, but there was still no sign of her presence. Therion wasn’t quite sure where she could be, but he didn’t think she was stupid enough to run off on her own. She had to be around somewhere.

It was then, however, Therion heard a sound. It was coming from the other room where he had yet to look, and sounded to be along the lines of something shuffling around. It undoubtedly had to be Tressa.

Entering the other room, Therion was met with a strange sight. Tressa was sitting on the floor with cards spread out in front of her as she shuffled the rest of the deck in her hands. Some of the cards laid upwards, while others laid upside down or were laying facedown. He wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at.

“Where did you get these, and what are they?” Therion asked as he stepped towards her. Tressa snapped her attention to him, and she seemed to be startled. By the way her eyes were, he could tell she had been crying again.

“...Matthew gave these to me. Most people just call them Fortune Cards, but I’ve always called them Flower Cards, and it’s… One of the ways I know how to fortune tell,” she hesitantly mentioned as she turned her gaze away. She had tensed up, and Therion assumed she was nervous due to what had happened earlier.

Looking at the cards, Therion understood why Tressa called them what she did. The cards he could see had intricate drawings of flowers bordering them, with the cards themselves depicting different people. One showed what appeared to be a person dancing while bordered by primroses, while another showed a shadowy monster bordered by flowers that had been burned. On those that laid face down, there were the symbols of the gods, each with a flower of their own. They were surprisingly detailed.

The thief looked up at the girl. “Whose fortune are you telling? Your own? Does it even work that way?” he asked before chuckling. Though Tressa’s gaze didn’t fully return to him, he could see her beginning to glare.

“It’s none of your business!” Tressa snapped with a cracked voice. It was obvious to Therion she was uneasy, but her strong will was starting to show. Therion shook his head in response.

“As long as you don’t read my fortune again, I won’t ask anymore questions,” he told her. “I don’t need you poking your nose in anymore places you don’t belong.”

Leaving Tressa to her fortune telling, Therion wandered back into the front room and placed his cloak and pack down. He sat in front of the fire, and scraped off what meat had burnt its way onto the stone. Not one to waste food, he forced himself to eat it before ridding his mouth of the taste with plums and water. He gagged slightly, but he had lived plenty of days without food. He had no interest in repeating them.

Lying down, Therion stared at the ceiling. He could still hear the shuffling of cards from the other room, along with the occasional agitated noise from Tressa. Whoever’s fortune she was telling, she wasn’t really happy with the results.

Listening to the sounds of Tressa’s fortunes, Therion thought back to the previous day. Though he had had no interest in having his fortune told, he had still somehow found himself on the receiving end of one, much to his annoyance. It had been strange, however, having Tressa’s soft hands hold his, and her fingers brushing against his palm had felt even stranger. He figured he had just been on edge, as he had been surrounded by people he had no trust in, but he still had a nagging feeling. It must have been because of the exact fortune he had been told…

That fortune… Tressa had told him that he would come to a crossroad, and there he would make one of three choices. At first he felt her fortunes held no weight, and was even ready to back up Tressa’s claims that she had no sliver of accuracy. That was, until she predicted something he had been wanting to hear…

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Tressa returning to the room.

“Are you finished with your little fortune telling session?” Therion asked as he sat back up and looked at her. She held the deck of cards in her hand and was still shuffling them slowly. She looked somber.

“Can I… Ask you a question?” she asked as her hands came to a stop. She held the cards close to her heart, and she was looking straight at him.

Therion sighed. “What is it now?” he asked in response. It was always about the questions with her, and he didn’t think she’d ever run out of them. It was irritating.

“Do you… Do you like being a Divine Chosen?”

Therion gave her a strange look. Her question… It was something Therion had asked himself over and over many times before, and each time, his answer had never changed. He knew for certain what it was.

“The answer to that question doesn’t matter,” he told her firmly. It wasn’t the answer he always gave to himself, but it was still something that held true. Whether or not he liked being a Divine Chosen wasn’t anything she needed to know.

Tressa went quiet. She was biting her lip, and her grip on her cards tightened. She didn’t seem to know how to react to his answer. She looked away from him.

“I… I don’t know how I feel about it anymore,” she told him. “I hate living my life as the Lady Bifelgan, but… Something inside me keeps hoping that Leon will come save me and things will return back to normal…”

Therion chuckled. “Is that really something you wish to tell your captor?” he asked her. It wasn’t a surprise that the idol had a desire to be rescued, but he didn’t have a desire to let her go. Her hopes for the situation meant nothing to him.

Tressa looked back at Therion, and he noticed something odd. There was a strange glint in her eye, and she looked to almost be empathetic. Her lips were curled into a tight frown, and she slowly shook her head.

“No, it’s not something I want to tell a dirty, rotten thief like you, but… It’s something I want to tell to somebody who might be a lot like me…” she answered. Her voice was quiet, but her words still carried an air of power to them.

Therion didn’t respond. He had no idea what Tressa was trying to get at, but he was slightly annoyed with the implications that came with it. _Somebody who might be like her?_  That was ridiculous! Last he checked, he wasn’t a child who had to depend on others for every little thing in his life!

It was then, however, that Tressa began coughing again, and Therion shifted his focus to trying to get her to stop. Though he still didn’t understand what she was trying to get at, her words weren’t important at the moment. The irritation from the winds only continued to affect her, and Therion took out a canteen from his pack to give her. He made a note to himself to refill it again before leaving.

When Tressa’s coughing ceased, Therion helped her to sit down. Her breathing was raspy, but he assumed it was because of the constant irritation. The idol was rarely ever allowed outside after all, so she wasn’t used to the effects of traveling in such conditions. As annoying as it was, it wasn’t a surprise she was having such a rough time with them. Even Therion himself wasn’t immune.

“Get some rest. You need to save your energy for when it’s safe to travel again,” Therion told the girl. Though he doubted it was any later than the late-afternoon, there was nothing much they could do while stuck waiting for the storm to pass.

“I’m sorry, Aeber…” Tressa apologized before taking another drink. She still looked somber, and her uneasiness seemed to have returned. Therion, however, shrugged in response.

“It’s not your fault that there’s a sandstorm,” he told her. “While I appreciate the apology, it’s not as if you can control the weather.”

To Therion’s surprise, however, Tressa shook her head, “No, that’s not why I’m apologizing. What I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry for taking your journal,” she explained. “It’s obviously important to you, and I shouldn’t have touched it. I’ll make sure not to steal from you again.”

Therion inhaled sharply.

The journal… It was something Tressa was never supposed to see, but it was too late now. He had no idea how she had managed to find it, as he kept it somewhere where it wasn’t supposed to be found. It was a precious item to him, and he hid it somewhere where no one would think to look. He wanted to keep it out of reach of those who decided to sneak in while he was gone. Somehow though, that had failed.

_Somehow, he had failed to keep it safe..._

“Just know better than to take from the Prince of Thieves in the future,” Therion stated bluntly. “I promised not to hurt you, but I don’t take kindly to those who overstep their boundaries.”

There was a small huff. “I only took the journal because I was curious and it was out in the open. It’s not like you give me answers for half the things I ask you about anyway,” Tressa complained. “I thought that maybe the journal would give me the answers you wouldn’t!”

“It had been left out in the open?” Therion asked her. That… Didn’t sound right. He would never do such a thing, and he hadn’t touched it recently.

“You left it on the nightstand,” Tressa said with confidence. “I figured you left it there when you came to wake me up this morning!”

“Well you’re wrong. It’s not mine.”

_No… The owner was somebody far more important than he was… Somebody who would be disappointed in who he had become..._

Therion watched as Tressa blinked and tilted her head. “...then who does it belong to? And why are you so protective of it?” she asked him. Therion let out a long sigh and looked at the fire. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with her.

“That isn’t important. All you need to know is that it isn’t mine and that you aren’t allowed to touch it,” he told her. “From now on, the journal doesn’t exist.”

“You can’t just expect me to forget-“

“It doesn’t. Exist.”

There was a long silence that followed. Therion continued to stare at the fire, and he watched as the flames shrunk and grew at his command. At some point, he could hear Tressa begin to shuffle the cards again, but she didn’t say anything. He listened as she placed the cards down one by one, picked them back up, and arranged them once more. Eventually, she sighed.

“...I don’t understand you, Aeber, but one day, I hope I can. Even if you did kidnap me; even if you are a dirty, rotten thief; something inside me says there’s more to you than you let on, and that journal is proof of that,” the idol stated. Something about the way she spoke bothered Therion, but before he could say anymore there was a soft click as she closed the door connecting the two rooms. She had left him alone.

_Alone… The way he was meant to be…_

No matter how much time passed, no matter how many times she asked, Therion vowed Tressa would never lay her hands on the journal again. He was angry at the idol for taking it, but relieved it had been returned to him before she read too far. The journal was for his eyes only, and as soon as he could, he’d return it to where it belonged. Until then, he’d have to keep it close. He didn’t trust the Living Goddess to not touch it again.

Taking the journal from the pack, Therion slowly flipped through the pages. They were old and worn, having suffered years of being read over and over, and at risk of falling apart. How many times had he read it over the years? Enough that he could remember everything that had been written. Nonetheless, he still flipped back to the first page and began reading through it once more.

Soon, even the sound of the pages faded away as the winds continued to blow outside...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //looks at last update date  
> //looks at current date  
> ...I can explain.
> 
> This chapter... Gave me hell. I know I complained about the last few chapters, but this chapter required two half-chapter re-writes, which meant scrapping weeks of work /twice/. At first I just didn't like things, then second the pace felt a little rushed. Finally, I decided to split things again and focus more on the two parts I wanted to cover in two different chapters. Since this is the same thing that happened last time, it's safe to assume that if I want to include two things, I should split them up accordingly.
> 
> Anyway, this chapter has the introduction of a specific item that parallels an item in Tressa's story: the journal. Who did this journal belong to? Of course, that's not something I can say right away. You'll just have to hang on to figure that out!
> 
> Oh Lord please don't let the next chapter I work on cause me the same pain this one did. I'd like to post at least one chapter a month ;A;


	9. A Journey's Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tressa falls ill, Therion has to take her through the desert in order to get her the help she needs. Along the way, he finds himself having to make a multitude of risky decisions just to keep her safe, and it only becomes harder when somebody tells him that some of his decisions aren't the right ones to make.

The illness came swiftly.

It was late into the night when the winds let up, allowing for the sandstorm to finally clear. Therion had passed the time reading, and Tressa had seemingly fallen asleep in the other room. Though she had spent much of her time telling fortunes earlier in the day, the sound of shuffling cards had faded away hours prior. Now, only the soft sounds of the fire could be heard, and all else within the ruined home was quiet. It was a moment of peace.

Finishing with the journal, Therion placed it down next to him. He watched the flames as they flickered, and wondered how else he could occupy his time. Though with the storm cleared the two chosen could truly leave whenever, the thief wanted to make sure Tressa was well rested before they continued. Their journey through the desert had been taxing, and the sandy winds had already irritated the girl enough. She probably needed the extra rest with how much stress had been put on her body.

Trying to find another way to pass the time, Therion put the journal away and stepped outside. The moon was full, and all around him, homes were illuminated by its soft light. The night sky was bright in the desert, allowing him to take in his surroundings. The ruins always gave him a strange feeling whenever he passed through, and it made him feel uneasy to be out in the open. These ruins, they were...

Hollow… That was the word he used to describe it. The entire town felt hollow, as if any life it once had had since faded away. Emptiness was something to be expected of ruins, but here, not even monsters dared to enter. It was forgotten, left to be consumed by the elements and the sand. It was truly void of all life.

Taking a deep breath, Therion stared up at the night sky. The constellations depicting Sealticge and Dohter were visible, along with a few minor ones that Therion couldn’t quite name. He had spent many of his nights staring at the stars, and they always gave him a sense of normalcy. No matter where he was in the world, they’d always be there to help him find his way. It helped to calm his uneasiness.

But then there was the moon… The full moon always meant that trouble was brewing, especially in the thieving world. For the past six months, rumors of mysterious thefts had spread all along Orsterra, and Therion had no idea who the thief behind them was. Though he had his suspicions, the scouts he had sent out to investigate the incidents had not produced any results. All they had discovered was that the thefts occurred on the night of the new moon, only for the stolen treasure to be returned when the moon was next full.

“Hmph, what’s the point of having followers if they can’t get me the info I want? They really are useless,” Therion muttered to himself. He had gained a large handful of followers since his rise to power, and not one had fully proved themselves to him in that time. He was better off doing everything on his own, and at least that way, he’d have a better chance of finding a reason behind the crimes and the pattern the thief followed.

Their pattern… It truly was a strange one. Predictability was the enemy of any good thief, but this one had specifically chosen to follow the phases of the moon. Normally such a pattern would make a thief easier to catch, but somehow, this one had avoided all attempts set up to thwart them. Nobody had yet to see their face either, making everything about them a complete mystery. Not even Therion, the Prince of Thieves, had managed to keep himself hidden during all of his thefts, and he wondered how they managed to pull it off.

The prince sighed.

He doubted he was going to get answers any time soon.

Focusing back on the stars, Therion spotted the beginnings of Aeber’s constellation starting to emerge. It wouldn’t be fully visible until the winter, when the world was cold and the shadows of night lasted longer, and at a time when Bifelgan’s constellation did not touch the sky. Opposite to Aeber, her constellation only appeared in Summer, and it was believed it had been the goddess Steorra to decide such a thing. Even in depictions made of stars, Aeber was kept away from the woman he loved. To Therion, however, they were both nothing more than little dots of light in the sky.

Therion had never been one to make out shapes amongst the stars, but scholars stated that Aeber’s constellation depicted the god wrapped in a fiery cloak. He held his own heart in one hand, while the other reached out for something no longer there. It represented his loss of control, and the moment that his heart was broken. Legends stated that he turned into a shadowy monster soon after that, becoming the hollow shell of a man and wreaking havoc amongst the people of Orsterra. It was Bifelgan who eventually put a stop to him, leading to her own constellation depicting her holding a spear in victory, and it was a legend that any thief knew well enough. 

But Therion no longer had care for such things; the legends had never mattered to him.

All that mattered to the prince at the moment was that he and Tressa made it to the Carrion Caves without further delay. Though they were still a few days by foot, he was confident they would reach their destination without any further issues. He  _was_ aware that much of their troubles could have been avoided if he had taken Tressa into the shadows, but that presented its own set of risks he didn’t want to deal with. The shadows were far too dangerous for a young girl to be traveling in often, and he had no idea what effects they could have on her. The time she had spent when he had first taken her had already been enough to make her sick to her stomach when they reemerged.

Closing his eye, Therion leaned back against the ruined home. The wind was starting up again, but it was light and showed no signs of reviving the storm. The air was cool, the town quiet, and no creatures lurked in the area. It was still peaceful… Quieter than any other point over the past five days… It wasn’t something Therion thought he’d get a chance to experience after seeing how Tressa behaved.

“Aeber…?”

Therion turned his attention to the door. Peering out from behind it was Tressa, eyes half-shut and wobbly on her feet. She was struggling to maintain eye contact with him, and she needed to hold the door to support herself.

“I’m here,” the thief told the idol. She seemed to be reaching for him now, and her expression seemed a bit odd. He chalked it up to her still being half-asleep, though that didn’t feel completely right. She wasn’t acting like she normally had been when tired.

“I… I don’t…”

Therion rushed to catch Tressa as she collapsed. It had been sudden, but his reflexes had been fast enough that she was in his arms before she could touch the ground. He didn’t know what was the cause of her collapse, but it was obvious that something was very wrong. He placed a hand on her forehead…

...she was burning up.

The illness hadn’t come without warning, but Therion cursed at himself for not noticing sooner. The idol herself mentioned that she often got sick after going outside, but he had pushed that knowledge to the back of his mind after she had told his fortune. He had been so focused on what she had predicted that he didn’t even think about the implication behind her words. The storm didn’t help much either, as he easily associated her coughing with the winds and sand irritating her lungs. He felt stupid for not realizing it was because she was getting sick.

Now, Therion wasn’t certain of what he was going to do. Tressa was in no state to travel while ill, but staying in the ruins and waiting for her to recover was a risky move. There was a chance she could get worse, and what medicinal supplies they had on them was aimed towards treating injuries and not illness. Their best bet would be to try and travel to the nearest town, where hopefully he’d be able to get her some sort of help. It would be too dangerous to travel back to Sunshade, so they would need to continue west into the Riverlands.

Grabbing their packs and extinguishing the flames he had created, Therion prepared for their departure. Tressa mumbled in a feverish daze the entire time, and she was struggling to stay conscious. She would be too weak to hold onto Therion’s back, so he’d have no choice but to carry her from that point on. She was a heavier girl, but once Therion picked her up, he had no problems keeping her off the ground. His only worry at the moment was making it to safety before she got any sicker.

Under the cover of night, Therion left the ruins and headed westward with Tressa in tow. The girl’s breathing was heavy, and her cheeks were flushed a deep pink. In her current state, she could barely move, making them an open target for any monsters lurking in the dark. Those that traveled during the day Therion could outrun, but monsters that traveled the night were faster and could sense the heat coming from their bodies. With Tressa’s fever and his natural warmth, they would surely be easy to hunt down.

Holding Tressa close, Therion scanned the sands as he moved. The moon glowed softly above them, and the dunes around them glistened under its light. It was peaceful, just as it had been in the ruins, yet Therion knew better than to trust the atmosphere. Under each dune, surrounded by the glistening sands, death was lurking. Monsters that lived in the sands were waiting for their chance to strike.

And if they were to strike, the two chosen would be defenseless.

With Tressa in his arms, Therion would be unable to draw a weapon. Though he could still rely on magic, it would not be enough to protect them in full, and even less so if they were outnumbered. As powerful as he was, Therion couldn’t run the risk of being caught off guard.

Continuing forward, Therion stayed on high alert. The shackle on his ankle clinked gently as he ran, and the girl in his arms clung weakly to him. Monsters had yet to make themselves known, but the thief had no plan to drop his guard. The sound of his footsteps were being dampened by the sand, and the same could be said for any beast wandering about. Even if it seemed like the two chosen were alone, something could easily still be lurking.

Then, from behind him, came the sound of scuttling.

Sliding along the sand, Therion turned himself around. From a nearby dune, a monster three times his size began to emerge, and other smaller creatures began to gather around it. The monster carried a large club, and it snapped at the air with a powerful jaw as it looked directly at Therion. Raising its club, the monster let out a shrill cry and broke into a sprint, charging straight towards the two chosen. Behind it, the creatures followed.

Reacting fast, Therion summoned forth a wall of flames. The charging beast came to a stop a few feet in front of it, and Therion stepped back to get out of its range. The fire burned strongly despite being on sand, and the monster was avoidant. A few of the creatures tried to pass through it, but they scuttled away as it began to burn them. They hid behind the monster, as if waiting to see what it would do next.

“Flames of Aeber, consume the beasts that stand before you!” Therion shouted as he tried to hold his hand forward. The wall of flames grew as he did so, and they began to wrap around the monsters that it had been summoned to block. Therion could feel the ends of his scarf start to burn, and a soft glow began to fill the air. He could hear Tressa whimpering in his arms.

The flames danced around the monster and began to push towards it. The creatures who had yet to be burned tried to face it, and they swatted at the flames with the weapons they carried. The large monster, meanwhile, looked at the flames and backed away. Therion took it as a sign to leave, and turned back around in order to flee. He was better off running than trying to finish them off.

Then came another shrill cry.

Despite the flames in front of it, the monster had once again began to charge forward. Therion glanced behind him, watching as the monster held out its arm and used it as a shield from the flames. The smaller creatures followed behind it, and Therion turned his attention back to in front of him. He held onto Tressa as tightly as he could, and as he moved, cast more flames to try and ward off their pursuers. His attempts, however, only proved to be fruitless.

“Shit!” Therion swore loudly as the monster tried to take a swing at him. Though it had managed to miss thanks to a sudden burst of flames, the thief doubted he would be so lucky with a second swing. The monster was out for blood, and Therion had already angered it enough. He had to find a way to get away.

_What would he do? What could he do? What should he do?_

As Therion tried to devise a plan of action, Tressa’s whimpers became a groan. The thief didn’t think the idol was fully conscious, but she was awake enough to share that she was in some sort of distress. He couldn’t be certain if she knew what was going on, but he needed to get her to safety before things got any worse.

Glancing behind him, Therion watched as the smaller creatures began to fall back. The monster was raising its club to the sky, and charging forward at faster speeds than Therion could outrun. The monster was going to strike at any moment, and if Therion failed to block it, it would surely signal disaster. The prince had promised Tressa that no harm would come to her while she was in his possession, but now he risked not being able to keep that promise. He had to think fast...

...and then he knew what he had to do.

He had no choice…

As Therion fled into the shadows, the light of the flames, the moon, and the glistening sand disappeared. A twisted darkness emerged, and the sounds of the world were replaced with ones that were unnatural. All around Therion, an inky blackness consumed any light that managed to appear, and strange silhouettes moved back and forth.

The shadows of the monsters were looking for them, but now, they were nowhere to be found.

Therion watched as the larger monster swung in anger. A few of the smaller creatures were hit and sent flying, while those who had been missed began to flee. The monster was angry it had lost its prey, and it let out a shrill cry that became warped and distorted in the world the two chosen now resided in. The remaining creatures returned to the sand, while the monster continued to look around. Therion assumed it would be there for quite some time.

Slowly, Therion stepped forward and walked amongst the inky blackness. A shadowy desert loomed all around him, and his own footsteps echoed loudly throughout it. The shadows of Orsterra were something Therion had come to know well, and neither the sights or sounds bothered him as he moved. This world was like a second home to him, and the place where he spent much of his time. If it were not for Aeber’s hand, he would choose to never leave them.

In his arms, Tressa began to struggle. Her eyes were shut, and she looked to be in pain as she moved restlessly. Therion knew well enough he had taken a risk by bringing her here, but it was the only way he had to keep her safe. He held her close in hopes of bringing her some sort of comfort, but her squirming did not stop. It was almost as if she were having a nightmare.

“Don’t worry, things are going to be okay…” Therion promised the restless idol. She didn’t say anything in response, but Therion had expected as much. Whatever illness she had caught was taking its toll on her.

Keeping Tressa steady in his arms, Therion headed deeper into the shadows. The world around him twisted as he walked, and the shadowy dunes around him began to distort. It was truly a representation of all that was negative in the world, and it was ever changing with the light. Such twisted changes gave Therion no trouble, however, as he had learned to navigate the world long ago. Even with its ever changing ways, it was still a reflection of Orsterra at its core.

In time, Therion finally came to a stop. The shadowy dunes had disappeared, being replaced with the stones and trees of the Riverlands, and things were once again at peace. Tressa was still restless in his arms, but the thief hoped it would come to pass once they returned to the light. He had kept her in the shadows long enough, and any longer would risk causing her greater harm. She was already weak enough as it was while sick.

Looking around, Therion spotted and approached the shadow of a tree. He placed a hand on it, and watched as the inky blackness began to glow brightly underneath. His hand began to push through the shadows, emerging from the darkness and back into the light, and warmth filled the air.

But before he could move further, there was a sound…

The sound of a chain scraping along the ground...

The hairs on the back of Therion’s neck began to stand up, and he stood frozen in place. The sound grew louder, and the thief could feel his heart beating faster with each noise the chain made. Soon the sound came to a stop, and a heaviness filled the air. Silence followed, and Therion’s fingers twitched as he kept Tressa close. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, away from the presence looming behind him.

As the two chosen emerged from the shadows, Therion was greeted by the light of the rising sun. The morning had finally come, and a calming warmth enveloped the area. There were no monsters in sight, and a gentle breeze blew as the thief regained his bearings. Birds chirped all around, their sounds no longer distorted by the world, and the quiet humming of insects began. Things were back to normal.

_Well, as normal as things could be..._

Locating the nearest path, Therion continued forward. The chain of his shackle dragged along the ground, and his mind filled with thoughts of what had occurred. Aeber had found them again, and this time he wanted to make sure his presence was known.

Though Therion had never truly seen the King of Thieves, he knew when both he and Aeber lurked together in shadow. The same heaviness always fell over Therion, and the world would become silent around him. The only sound Therion would ever hear was that of the chain connecting them, which did not distort like the others. Aeber never spoke, but instead watched Therion as he walked. They only truly interacted when Aeber thought Therion had been in the shadows long enough.

“Aeber, I… Water… Need…”

Therion looked down at the girl in his arms. She was awake, and clinging weakly to his cloak. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her eyes barely open. He set her down gently and grabbed a canteen from one of the packs he carried. Opening the canteen, he helped the girl to drink.

“How are you feeling?” Therion asked the weak girl as she finished. Her breathing was still heavy, but the water seemed to be helping slightly. She tried her best to look at him.

“Hot…” she managed to muster out. Therion placed his hand back on her forehead, and he could tell her fever had yet to break. He needed to find somebody who could help fast.

“Just hold on a bit longer, kid,” he said as he placed the canteen back in the pack. He threw both packsback over his shoulders, and picked Tressa back up from the ground. She had the slightest hint of a scowl.

“Not… A child…” the idol complained with a whisper. Therion shook his head and sighed, then continued forward in hopes of finding help.

It was the town of Hillcreek where they eventually found themselves. Along the continent of Orsterra, they were plenty of towns that had yet to be marked on normal maps, and Hillcreek was one of them. Nestled within the hills of the Riverlands, it was a small town that had only started development the year prior. Therion had only been there once before, but it was not in a spot where he would easily remember it. Thankfully, there were plenty of signs along the path that led the way.

It was still early when the two chosen made it into town, and the shops had yet to open. Though Therion could have easily snuck into one to take what he needed, he didn’t want to take a risk when Tressa was sick. If he had somehow been caught, they would have to leave town, leaving her without care for another few days. He didn’t know how long it would take to reach Saintsbridge or Clearbrook, and he wasn’t interested in finding out. They’d have to wait.

Finding a spot where they could rest, Therion allowed for Tressa to lay down. She was shivering, so he threw her cloak over her in order to keep her warm as she fell back asleep. Rummaging through one of the packs, he looked for anything he may have missed. Plums, grapes, a variety of herbs… Something had to be of use. Even if he couldn’t find something for healing, he at least wanted to see if he could reduce any pain she might have been in.

Sighing in agitation, Therion sorted through the herbs they had on hand. Cures for poison, more silencing herbs, and a few others that he didn’t recognize… None that would turn out to be useful. He was growing frustrated.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Looking behind him, Therion was greeted with an unfamiliar face. A tall, scruffy looking blond man was standing nearby, and he had a look of concern on his face. In his arms, he was holding some sort of smaller pack.

“...no, my friend is sick, and the shop won’t open for another hour or two,” Therion hesitantly told the man. The thief was wary of the stranger, but he was at a loss of what to do. He had to try and reach out for help.

“Shucks, aren’t you in a bit of a pickle then!” the blond man said before stepping forward. “Lucky for you, I’m an apothecary, and I might just have exactly what  _you need!”_

_An apothecary!_  It seemed after all he had gone through, Therion’s luck was finally changing for the better. Even if Aeber’s blessing had made Therion luckier than most, misfortune still followed him wherever he went. It seemed after all Therion had dealt with in the night, Aeber had decided to take some pity on him

_...no_ , that god had nothing to do with Therion’s change in luck. All he had done was watch Therion from the shadows, waiting for any chance to manipulate and control him. If Aeber had gotten his way, Therion would have only been impeded more.

The prince tried not to think about it.

Focusing on the problem at hand, Therion frowned at the apothecary. “Please, we don’t have a lot of money, but you’re our only other option at this point,” he told them. It wasn’t a lie, as Therion only carried so many leaves on him when traveling, but he wasn’t going to try and let the apothecary charge him an outrageous price either. He knew well enough what kinds of scams they could conjure, and he wasn’t going to find himself falling for one. His hope was that with a bit of acting, he could get some sympathy from the apothecary and only pay a minimal fee.

Smiling, the apothecary proceeded to open his pack. “Don’t sweat it, I’ll help you free of charge!” he said as he leaned down next to Tressa. “It’s not your fault your friend is sick after all, so you shouldn’t have to pay for it!”

Therion let out a sigh of relief.  _So it seemed this apothecary wasn’t as dirty as the rest._  “Thank you, truly,” he said as a weight lifted off his shoulders. He felt just a bit better knowing Tressa was going to get the help she needed without it costing Therion a fortune. Of course, if things had gone for the worst, he could have always robbed the apothecary blind.

“It’s really no problem at all! I just don’t think it’s fair to charge somebody just because they’re sick, since it kinda feels like you’re taking advantage of them. And I really like helping people, and not taking payment is my way of not causing them anymore trouble!” the apothecary cheerfully stated. They were still smiling, and Therion noted they seemed to be awfully naive. Despite the scruffiness, the apothecary must have still been young.

“Well, I appreciate it either way,” Therion told them in response. They were saving him the trouble of waiting for the store to open, and they probably knew far more about treatments than he did. It really was a good stroke of luck.

“Say, is there any chance I could get your name while you’re here?” the apothecary asked. “I’d like to know who it is I’m helping after all!”

Therion tensed up for a moment. He had been so focused on getting Tressa help, he hadn’t even considered that they might have needed false names once they got to town. Now he had been put on the spot, and he didn’t have any idea of what names to use. He had to think quickly.

“My name is Ide, and my friend here is Rin,” the thief answered a moment later. The names were short and simple, having no real meaning to them, and Therion hoped that they were convincing enough. He wasn’t sure how well that would work, however, with how rushed he had been.

The apothecary, thankfully, continued to smile. “Well don’t you worry, Mr. Ide! I’ll have Rin here fixed up in a jiffy, or my name ain’t Alfyn Greengrass!” they said with the same cheer. They placed a gloved hand on Tressa’s forehead, and Therion watched as they sorted through their pack.

“Can you tell what’s wrong with her?” Therion asked as the apothecary worked. The apothecary produced a few herbs from the pack, and began to grind them together into a weird mush.

“I can’t tell with a glance alone, but my best guess is she’s caught some sort of nasty cold. It isn't the flu season, but she’s burning hotter than a summer’s day in Sunshade,” the apothecary explained. “I’m going to give her something to reduce the fever, but I’ll need to do a bit more to figure out what’s exactly wrong with her.”

“Anything will help us at this point,” Therion responded. Even if the apothecary couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with Tressa, they could at least give her some sort of medicine. Even something small could go a long way.

“Is it alright if ya help me give it to her?” the apothecary asked the thief. “She seems to be pretty exhausted, so it might be easier for ya to prop her up while I give her the medicine to reduce stress on her.”

Nodding, Therion placed his hand on Tressa’s arm. “Of course, whatever it takes,” he said before starting to gently shake her. “Rin… Rin, it’s time to wake up. A kind doctor wants to give you some medicine”

Slowly, the idol opened her eyes. She looked at Therion weakly, and then turned attention to the apothecary leaning down next to her. She tried to reach her free hand out to them, but she didn’t have the energy to keep it up. Placing a hand underneath her back, Therion helped her to sit up. He had her lean against him to stay stable.

“Here, tilt your head back,” the apothecary said as he held a small glass up to Tressa’s lips. The sick girl did as directed, and with a little bit of help, drank the medicine provided. Therion wasn’t sure how fast it would work, but he was glad it had at least made it into her system.

“There, that’ll do her some good for now,” the apothecary said before putting the glass away and closing his pack. “I’d like to take a better look at her somewhere where she can lay down properly. Do you guys have a home nearby, or a room at the inn?”

Therion shook his head. “No, we’re just traveling through the area, but I can pay for a room at the inn if you need me to,” he offered. Though he wasn’t comfortable staying in inns, there wasn’t a safe house in the area as far as he knew. If there was, it certainly wasn’t one of his own.

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll just use the room I’m renting then! A nice fellow I helped out last night insisted on paying for a room for me, and I still got it for another few hours,” the apothecary informed him. With that being the case and the apothecary not taking payment, Therion was starting to wonder if they even had any coin of their own.

“Alright, we can do that,” the thief agreed. Tressa, who was still leaning on his shoulder, once again reached out for the apothecary. Her breathing was raspy.

“He… Help… Me...” she said in a low whisper. Her voice was quiet, and it sounded like it hurt to speak. She looked as if she were going to cry.

Suddenly hesitant, the apothecary placed a hand on Tressa’s. “I’ll help you out the best I can, Ms. Rin. I promise,” he told her. He was still smiling, but Therion was starting to grow wary. The apothecary’s hesitation was concerning, and the prince was worried they were growing suspicious.

“...we should go to the inn before she gets worse,” Therion said a second later. He wanted to get Tressa help as fast as he could, so that way they could leave as soon as possible. He didn’t need word of Tressa’s kidnapping catching up to them while they were in town, or for the apothecary to figure things out.

The apothecary, thankfully, stood up and gestured to the east in response. “The inn is this way. Just follow me,” he said before heading off. Picking Tressa up, Therion quickly followed behind.

The inn itself was small, with it still being under construction in certain places. Flowers and picket fences surrounded it, and to the naked eye, it looked to be nothing more than a regular house. A few people sat in a garden outside of it drinking tea, and they eyed the group as they passed. Therion eyed them back with a slight disdain, and they quickly moved their gazes elsewhere. He didn’t like prying eyes.

As the apothecary talked with the receptionist for a quick moment, Therion sat with Tressa once again leaning against him. She was managing to stay conscious, and had started muttering to herself. Putting a hand on her forehead, Therion checked to see if her fever was starting to break. Though she was still warm, she felt better than she had earlier in the day. It seemed the medicine was working, and working fast.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Therion saw something through the window that caught his attention. In one of the sitting areas outside, there sat a duo talking to each other. They were both male, but varied in age. One was in his mid-twenties, while the other was barely fourteen. They were dressed well, and definitely not from the area. Therion recognized them as two of his followers he had asked to investigate the strange thefts that followed the moon.

“Come on, let me take you to the room,” the apothecary said as he came back over. Therion looked at him, but a feeling of uncertainty had started to fall over him.

Now that Therion knew some of his followers were in the area, there was a chance they could get help elsewhere. Leaving the apothecary, however, would raise suspicions about their situation. He wanted to speak with his followers, but leaving Tressa alone ran the risk she would tell the apothecary the truth. Even if she was weak, she still had some ability to speak, especially now that she was recovering. He needed to make a choice.

_...today was just a day filled with risky decisions, wasn’t it?_

“...I need to step out for a moment. Can I meet you back at the room?” Therion asked the apothecary. They seemed a bit surprised, but they nodded as they gave Therion a slightly confused look.

“Yeah, of course. I already explained to the nice little lady over there what’s happening, so she can tell you how to get to the room once you’re back inside,” they said. “If anything happens, I’ll come out and let you know.”

“Thank you,” Therion said in response. “I promise I won’t be that long.”

With a bit of help from Therion, the apothecary managed to get Tressa to stand and lean against them for support. They walked her down the hall, and Therion watched until they were no longer in view. Once they were gone, he headed outside. 

Slowly, Therion approached his followers. They were brothers who served as scouts in the Cliftlands, and they often brought news to him in the Carrion Caves when he was around. They worked well as a pair, and Therion often heard stories about their thievish exploits when he traveled through their area of work. Of course, no matter how well known they were, they never matched up to him... And like many others, he also didn’t know their names.

“Well, look who the cait dragged in,” Therion said as he approached the two brothers. They looked at him, and the older of the two almost fell over and shock. His eyes were wide open.

“Prince Aeber, what are you doing here!?” they asked loudly. Therion shot them a harsh look and gestured for them to lower their voice.

“Don’t call me that so loudly in public!” the prince hissed. He didn’t know who was listening, along with what rumors had been spread. He didn’t need somebody overhearing them and having his cover blown.

“Ah, my apologies, sir… But my question still stands, what are you doing here? I thought you were transporting the Lady Bifelgan to the west!” the older brother said in a quieter tone. “Did something happen to her?”

Crossing his arms, Therion nodded in response. “The Lady Bifelgan has fallen ill and is currently under the care of an apothecary,” he explained. “He says it’s just some sort of cold, but it’s taken a nasty toll on her and impeded our travels.”

The younger brother spoke up. “Ah, perhaps it’s the same apothecary who helped to treat Arsène’s wounds when we arrived last night?” he suggested. “We had an unpleasant run in with a beast on our way here, and my brother took the brunt of the force when I, um… Struggled to hold my own.”

The older brother placed his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. “Renè is still young and learning the skills of being a thief, so I take it upon myself to keep him safe from harm,” he explained further. “I was mostly unscathed, but it managed to land a blow on me that left me with cuts deep enough that magic couldn’t heal them. We were fortunate enough to run into the apothecary on the way here, and he healed me right up.”

“Hm, I see,” Therion said as he tried to sound interested. He didn’t care much for the troubles the brothers had dealt with, but he didn’t want them to know that. Even if they were his followers, pushing them away wasn’t any help to him at the moment.

“We’re actually on our way to Sunshade right now for the festival. My brother’s girlfriend is one of the dancers, and he goes every year to support her,” the younger brother revealed. His brother laughed.

“Ah, Cardia isn’t my girlfriend, Renè! She’s simply a charming young woman that I help through the desert each year!” he said. He had a bright smile, and it was obvious to Therion that the man was smitten.

“I’ve heard rumors about your exploits with one of the dancers of the Gods and Goddesses. It’s popular talk amongst other thieves, though not many of them actually believe you’re acquainted with Aeber’s dancer,” Therion mentioned. Even if he didn’t keep tabs on his follower’s names, he normally knew what they were up to. If he didn’t have eyes on them at all times, there was always a chance they might cause him trouble.

“A shame!” the older brother said before laughing again. “I’ll have to try and introduce Cardia to the thieves in Sunshade to prove those rumors true, or else they’ll never believe me!”

The younger brother gave the older man an annoyed look. “Arséne, we have more important things to do than try to boost your ego,” the young teen complained. “We are in the presence of the prince, which means we should be doing our duty as his followers to see what he needs.”

“Ah, you’re right, dear Renè!” the older thief said before turning to the prince. “Our prince surely has something he needs of us if he has approached us outside of our normal meetings in the Carrion Caves!”

Arms still crossed, Therion nodded again. “With the Lady Bifelgan ill, travel has become difficult for us. I need a safe and quick way to get her out of Hillcreek, and to a place where she can be treated without worry. Though the apothecary is doing his job well enough, I’d prefer she be cared for by a loyal thief,” he explained. Having Tressa interact with anybody outside of those loyal to him was risky, and he preferred to keep her out of sight. If they could get her treated by somebody he knew, it would be one less thing for him to worry about with her.

“So you want us to help you get out of town? I’m sure we can easily do that!” the younger brother stated. He sounded confident, but his older brother didn’t seem to share that same confidence himself. His cheerful expression had changed, and it now looked to be one that was almost pitiful.

“You know you’re not doing that poor girl any good by keeping her under lock and key,” the older thief said. “I understand that you’re trying to stay out of sight to avoid getting caught, but wasn’t she already kept locked up long enough? She should be allowed to interact with those outside of who you know. It would be good for her.”

Therion gave the thief a piercing glare.  _Did they even realize what they were saying?_  It had taken Therion months to find the perfect opportunity to take Tressa, and if he lost her, he would never have that same opportunity again. He wasn’t going to be a fool and just let her slip away!

“I am not taking anymore risks when it comes to the Lady Bifelgan. If anybody learns who she is, it will only mean more trouble, and we’ve already dealt with enough,” Therion said with a flat tone. He was getting angry, but he wasn’t going to let the other thief get the better of him. It wouldn’t get him anywhere in the conversation.

“And then there’s the fact she’s ill,” the older thief continued, seemingly ignoring Therion. “You’d rather take her away from somebody who can help her than let her get treatment, all because you’re afraid of what might happen. You need to think about her instead of yourself!”

Therion felt his fingertips start to burn. His face began to heat up, and he only grew angrier. He looked down at the older brother with disdain, and watched as the younger brother grew pale. The older brother, however, looked back with same, pitiful expression he already had. The prince clenched his hand tightly.

“You think I’m afraid? I, the man marked by the god Aeber?” Therion asked. He kept his voice low as to avoid attention being brought to them, but his voice shook with power as he spoke. “I fear no man, nor do I fear losing the girl I’ve taken. Do not treat me as a fool.”

“You are not a fool Prince Aeber, but you are making a fool’s mistake!” the other thief accused. They spoke with a determination that matched Therion’s power, and they were dangerously close to raising their voice. Therion scoffed.

“I came to you in confidence seeking your aid, and this is how you wish to treat me? I am your prince, and I expect better of a man such as yourself,” he stated bluntly. “If you are not going to aid me, then I will leave you with nothing.”

The younger thief looked at his brother desperately. “Arséne, maybe this isn’t the time for all of this,” he tried to convince his older brother. “How about we just help him and continue on our way?”

Sighing, the older thief stood. His eyes were still on Therion. “My prince, I am willing to aid you with transporting the Lady Bifelgan, but I want you to understand where I’m coming from. You’re keeping a young girl locked up and hidden away from the world. To most people, she may be a precious treasure, but-”

“She is not some treasure to collect and control!” Therion interrupted with a shout. “People are not objects that you can just bend to your whim, so don’t  _EVEN_  think of implying that I would treat her as such!”

Therion was breathing heavily, and flames had appeared in his hands during his sudden burst of rage. The younger brother had shrunk in on himself in fear, and the older brother was staring in shock. The prince could feel the eyes of others in the area on him, and there were whispers all around. Extinguishing the flames quickly, he took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. He hoped he hadn’t blown his cover.

There was an awkward silence amongst the thieves now. Therion was still angry, but he was keeping his mouth shut to prevent him from lashing out again. It hadn’t been a surprise he had knowing the subject, but his rage would only cause more problems. He needed to calm himself and go back to focusing on the problem at hand. Tressa was sick, and he needed to get her elsewhere for treatment.

“...so will you help me?” Therion asked the two. Both brothers were still on edge from the outburst, but they looked at him despite it. The older brother cleared his throat.

“...there is a thief in the area named Victoria who is an acquaintance of mine. She has not pledged loyalty to you, but I’m sure if you tell her I sent you, she will help transport you to Clearbrook. There, you can find another acquaintance of mine who is a trained apothecary. He knows of the safe house in the area, so I’m sure you can get him to agree to treat the Lady Bifelgan there,” he explained. His younger brother loosened up, and nodded his head in confirmation.

“Fran was trained by the Priest of Dohter himself, so he’ll easily be able to treat the Lady Bifelgan. Just ask for the local doctor, and you’ll find him,” the younger thief explained. Therion took another deep breath and gave a slight nod.

“Alright, then I’ll put my faith in your acquaintances. If they prove to be of use, I’ll reward you the next time we meet,” Therion promised. He had plenty of treasures hidden away within the Carrion Caves, and he was certain he could find something to part with. He didn’t care for much of the treasure in there, after all, and it would probably be of more use to the brothers.

“You’ll find Victoria on the eastern side of town. She’s currently staying in a home of a colleague of hers, but she shouldn’t be too hard to find. Just look for a carriage, and you’ll find her,” the older thief informed the prince. He had lowered his voice again, and Therion could tell he was trying to get attention off of them.

“Thank you for the information. I’m sure it will prove useful in my travels,” Therion said with another slight nod. Now that he had a plan of action, he just needed to get Tressa away from the apothecary. It would be tricky to do it without raising suspicions, but he was sure he’d find a way.

The older thief waved his hand. “If you need anything else from us, just send word and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible,” he told Therion. “We’ll be in Sunshade for the next week, but afterwards we’ll return to work in the Cliftlands.”

“You will hear from me soon enough then,” Therion said before turning around. The prying eyes had all averted their attention elsewhere, and the whispers had died down. It seemed once things had calmed, those around them lost interest in their group.

Before Therion could leave, the older brother once again spoke up. “One last thing before you go, Prince Aeber,” he began. “Please forgive me for my rudeness, but… I hope you think about what I said. That girl doesn’t deserve to be locked up, and she deserves some sort of freedom.”

Therion was quiet for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. Even after the outburst, the older thief was still confident in what he had to say, and it was aggravating. Therion looked back at them and spoke. “...do not cross me again, or the flames I summon will not stop.”

“...Yes, Prince Aeber.”

Heading back inside, Therion went and spoke to the woman at the front counter. She told him where the room was as promised, and he headed into the hall to find it. He passed a few others as he walked, overhearing conversations as he did so, but there was nothing of interest to him. Talk of the upcoming festival, bits of gossip that were floating around, along with local news… All mundane things he had no care for.

Reaching the room, Therion went to open the door. Before he could, however, it was quickly opened from the other side. Therion was greeted by the sight of the apothecary in the doorway, and they looked shocked to see him. They stepped back.

“A-ah, you’re back!” the apothecary stuttered. He was oddly pale, and he looked to be nervous. Therion raised an eyebrow.

“Did something happen?” the thief asked the younger man. Behind them, he could see Tressa sitting up on the room’s bed. Her cheeks were no longer flushed and she appeared to have some more energy, and he hoped that meant that her fever was gone

The apothecary laughed sheepishly. “Nothing is wrong at all! I just… Need to get some more herbs from the shop is all!” they said before trying to move past Therion. The thief stepped out of the way, but gave the man an odd look as they walked past.

“Would you like me to go with you? I can pay for some of the costs,” Therion offered. “Rin seems to be looking better, so she should be okay on her own.”

“No, I can do it! I’ll be back later!” the apothecary told the thief. They sounded as nervous as they looked, and it was obvious to Therion that something was wrong. Before Therion could stop them, however, they ran off down the hall.

Confused, Therion stepped inside and closed the door. Tressa was looking at him, and for some reason, looked to be afraid. She was clutching the blanket on the bed tightly, and when he moved towards her, she scooted back on the bed. Therion didn’t understand why, but he wasn’t too concerned. With the apothecary gone, it made leaving easier.

“Hm, what lucky timing. I found somebody else to help you, and with the apothecary out getting more herbs, we can leave without any problems,” he said as he went to pick up the sick girl. Even if she was looking better, she still probably couldn’t walk on her own. It was easier if he just continued to carry her.

The idol, however, began to struggle. “No… No… Please no...” she said as she tried to push Therion away. She still hadn’t regained all of her strength, so her voice was quiet and her movements weak, but her reaction had caught Therion off guard.

...had something happened while Therion was outside? The idol looked to be crying, and she was trying her best to get Therion to let her go. And then with how nervous the apothecary was to see him…

Therion’s worries must have become a reality: she must have told the apothecary that he had kidnapped her. The apothecary had probably run out to get help, and even though the town probably didn’t have any guards, someone surely knew how to fight. Therion would have to find the other thief and get out of town as quickly as possible, or else he’d have even more trouble than he already was.

“Sorry, but I’m not letting you go so easily… You’re coming with me.”

Opening one of the room’s windows, Therion snuck out with Tressa in tow. It proved to be slightly difficult with the window’s size, but he managed to make it through without hurting the sick idol in his arms. He bumped his own head on the way out, much to his annoyance, but it was only a dull pain. He had more important things to worry about than a possible bruise anyway. With how many travelers were in the inn, the apothecary could have easily already found somebody to help.

Sneaking through the town, Therion searched for the carriage as instructed. The town itself wasn’t large, but the homes that were built were far apart. It was an open area, and sneaking through it was difficult, but thankfully the streets were mostly barren. It was still early in the morning, so not many people were awake, but Therion kept his distance from those who were. He didn’t want anybody noticing them as they moved.

Eventually, Therion found the home he was searching for. The carriage was fancy and obviously belonged to somebody wealthy, but the home itself was small and cozy. He knocked on the door and was greeted by a rather elegant woman, who quickly agreed to help when he explained the situation. Apparently she knew the older brother from childhood, and the two worked together until he had pledged loyalty to Therion. When that happened, they went their separate ways.

Her colleague, who was currently not home, was loyal to a different thief that the woman did not name. They were the leader of a smaller group, but over time they had become more well known. Therion knew plenty of groups like that, and a few had even tried to overthrow him in the past. It made Therion wary of the woman, but at this point he didn’t have many other options. Surely by now, the apothecary and whatever help he had found were out looking for them.

“I’ll take you to Clearbrook, but no farther than that,” the woman told him. “I have business to attend to elsewhere, and I’m only doing this as a favor to an old friend.”

“Thank you for doing this for me. I’ll make sure you’re rewarded for your help,” Therion said in response. He may have not fully trusted the woman, but he knew the work of a lone thief was difficult. He could at least spare something to her, just as he planned to do for the brothers.

The entire time the two thieves spoke, Tressa remained quiet. She no longer had tears in her eyes, but she did not look at either of them. Therion could tell she was upset, and he felt a strange ping of sympathy for her. Of course, it did not last long, and he quickly turned his focus back to the matter at hand. It was time for them to go.

In the carriage, Tressa laid across from Therion. Though the medicine she had received was working, she did not speak, and instead turned away. She was refusing to interact with him, but Therion did not consider it a problem. His own thoughts were busy focusing elsewhere...

_“You know you’re not doing that poor girl any good by keeping her under lock and key.”_

Therion sighed. First the owner of the Sunshade safe house had went off on him, and now one of his scouts. No matter where he went, it seemed his followers had something to say about him and the Lady Bifelgan. What did they know though? Only he knew his motives for keeping her so secure.

Looking out the window, Therion continued to think. They were growing closer to their destination, and soon things would reach their end. His reasons for taking her… His selfish, hateful reason for taking her… It would all be worth it. It didn’t matter what any person had to say! He was doing this all for himself!

No matter what, he was the one in the right. No matter his motives, it had to be done. They would never get to him!

_“You’re keeping a young girl locked up and hidden away from the world.”_

No, he was proving he was better... He was proving to himself that he couldn’t be controlled... He was proving…

_He was proving…_

...he looked at Tressa. She had curled up and was crying again, and Therion felt his heart grow heavy. She was alone and scared, and he had once again ripped her away from freedom. Even if she had questioned her role as a chosen the previous day, she still expressed wanting to be saved, wanting things to go back to how they were before. He was keeping her away from everything she knew…

“....”

Maybe… Maybe has was only proving that he was the one in the wrong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh boy, this is a long one!
> 
> I didn't expect this chapter to turn out to be so long, but I guess there was just too many things that I wanted to fit into it? Looking back and knowing that this chapter and last chapter were supposed to originally be one, I'm glad that I ended up making the decision to split them. This way, I was able to get everything in with greater detail, instead of trying to cram it all into less than 10k words. I don't particularly like making chapters longer than 7k or 8k, but honestly it's starting to become a habit to push them. We'll just see how things go from here on out!
> 
> I don't really have much to say beyond that, other than I've enjoyed writing the events leading up to Tressa getting sick, but uuuh... Nothing too exciting comes from that? Oh, and Alfyn Cameo! That was also fun to include, and we'll be seeing him in a fic of his own soon enough!
> 
> Also Therion's finally feeling GUILT, so maybe he can finally getting the good ol' character development he needs.
> 
> Other than that... I hope you all enjoyed?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the part of the notes where I mention that due to other commitments, this series does not have a proper update schedule! While I'll be working on chapters between my comic series, work, and other things, I can't give a specific day when new chapters will be posted. I am, however, in this thing for the long haul, so it will definitely be a higher priority to keep things updated! Thank you in advance your patience, and I'll see you next chapter :D


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